Origin
Wood Dale, IL
Afternoon in Wood Dale on Sunday
Local time
2:20 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wood Dale, IL to Rockford, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 26m
Distance
69.6 mi
112 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 19m
★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wood Dale, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick getaway from Wood Dale to Rockford, expect a straightforward journey covering approximately 69.6 miles. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 1 hour and 26 minutes, making it an ideal choice for a simple day trip. Budgeting roughly $11 for fuel should cover your transit across this portion of the Midwest. The route relies on a combination of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, South Arlington Heights Road, and East State Street to navigate you efficiently between the two cities. Since the entire drive stays within Illinois, you won't experience major regional shifts, but the transition from the suburbs to the Rockford area is seamless. This is a practical, no-fuss route that serves as a reliable link for travelers looking to get from point A to point B without any overnight requirements.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 54.6 mi | 58m |
| East State Street | 6 mi | 10m |
| South Arlington Heights Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Prospect Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Arlington Heights Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Irving Park Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Jefferson Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Wyman Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 54.6 mi, about 58m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wood Dale, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on IL 19
31 ft
·
9 sec
·
Irving Park Road
2
Continue on IL 19
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Irving Park Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto Prospect Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Prospect Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on North Arlington Heights Road
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Arlington Heights Road
5
Continue on South Arlington Heights Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
South Arlington Heights Road
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on North Arlington Heights Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Arlington Heights Road
7
Take the ramp
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
8
Merge onto I 90
55 mi
·
58 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward US 20 Business, State Street
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
11
Turn straight onto US 20 Business
6.0 mi
·
10 min
·
East State Street
12
Turn right onto US 20 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Jefferson Street
13
Turn left onto North Wyman Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Wyman Street
14
Turn right onto West State Street
75 ft
·
2 sec
·
West State Street
15
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34.8 miles from Wood Dale, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 62.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 19 / Irving Park Road
Continue onto IL 19 / Irving Park Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Prospect Avenue
Turn right onto Prospect Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
7.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
62.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward US 20 Business, State Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 20 Business, State Street
4
62.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.88 one way
$21.76 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.95 | $23.89 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.39 | $26.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.37 | $30.73 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.82
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(54.6 mi)
$3.82
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$4
Total
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.9 | 0 | $7.31 | $3.34 |
| Efficient EV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.09 | $2.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.8 | 0 | $9.74 | $4.45 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Rockford, IL
Afternoon in Rockford on Sunday
Local time
2:20 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Isolated Rain Showers
NW 5 to 10 mph
21% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 26m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that balances highway efficiency with navigating city streets. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch of 54.6 miles cruising along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, which provides a steady pace for the majority of the trip. The character of the road shifts as you transition from local roads like South Arlington Heights Road toward the final approach on East State Street. Because the highway share is 0 percent, you should prepare for a driving experience that requires more attention to turns and transitions rather than long-distance interstate cruising. It is a functional drive that demands focus as you move through the various road types that make up this 69.6-mile path.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.6 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 19 / Irving Park Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 69.6 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 19 / Irving Park Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (Prospect Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.5 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Wood Dale, IL
Full guide →Founded 1928
Wood Dale is a city in the Chicagoland region in Illinois.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 69.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.6 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $3.82 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 19 / Irving Park Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (Prospect Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.5 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockford, IL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Rockford, IL
More from Wood Dale, IL
More trips to Rockford, IL
Explore more options from Wood Dale, IL or browse trips ending in Rockford, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.