How far is Crystal Lake, IL from Jacksonville, IL?

The driving distance from Crystal Lake, IL to Jacksonville, IL is about 242.9 miles (390.9 km), with a travel time of about 04h 57m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 199.9 miles (321.7 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 09h 54m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
242.92 mi
04h 57m
Flight
199.89 mi
321.69 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Crystal Lake.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
199.89 mi
Kilometers
321.69 km
Flight Time
00h 24m

Driving Distance

Road route
242.92 mi
Kilometers
390.94 km
Drive Time
04h 57m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 04h 57m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Jacksonville
Wed, Apr 15, 2:17 AM CDT
Return by in Crystal Lake
Wed, Apr 15, 7:15 AM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Crystal Lake
2026-04-14T21:20
Arrive Jacksonville
Wed, Apr 15, 2:17 AM CDT
Route Timing
04h 57m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
10:57 AM to 12:57 PM CDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
7:06 AM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Crystal Lake
9:00 PM CDT
Early departure recommended

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Lexington
IL

City in McLean County, Illinois, United States

From Crystal Lake
121.5 mi
02h 28m
To Jacksonville
121.5 mi
02h 28m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
75°F
Tuesday

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Tue, Apr 14 1:00 AM CDT
Wind
15 mph SW
Destination
83°F
Tuesday

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Tue, Apr 14 1:00 AM CDT
Wind
14 to 18 mph SSW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Crystal Lake and Jacksonville.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Crystal Lake and Jacksonville.

  1. 1

    Start on East Crystal Lake Avenue

    8 m · 5 sec · East Crystal Lake Avenue

  2. 2

    Turn right onto South Main Street

    1.7 mi · 4 min · South Main Street

  3. 3

    Continue on Pyott Road

    1776 ft · 34 sec · Pyott Road

  4. 4

    Turn right onto James R Rakow Road

    1.2 mi · 2 min · James R Rakow Road

  5. 5

    Continue on North Randall Road

    2.2 mi · 3 min · North Randall Road

  6. 6

    Continue on South Randall Road

    17.9 mi · 29 min · South Randall Road

  7. 7

    Keep slight left to continue on North Randall Road

    1.2 mi · 2 min · North Randall Road

  8. 8

    Continue on Randall Road

    2.6 mi · 5 min · Randall Road

  9. 9

    Continue on North Randall Road

    3.3 mi · 5 min · North Randall Road

  10. 10

    Turn right onto Orchard Road

    11.2 mi · 19 min · Orchard Road

  11. 11

    Continue on Minkler Road

    1.5 km · 2 min · Minkler Road

  12. 12

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Minkler Road

    39 m · 4 sec · Minkler Road

  13. 13

    Exit the roundabout onto Minkler Road

    3.4 mi · 5 min · Minkler Road

  14. 14

    At the end of the road, turn right onto East Schoolhouse Road

    2391 ft · 47 sec · East Schoolhouse Road

  15. 15

    Turn left onto Ashley Road

    3.8 mi · 5 min · Ashley Road

  16. 16

    Turn right onto Caton Farm Road

    1.5 mi · 2 min · Caton Farm Road

  17. 17

    Turn left

    7.2 mi · 10 min

  18. 18

    Continue on North Bridge Street

    1.3 mi · 2 min · North Bridge Street

  19. 19

    Continue straight

    22.1 mi · 26 min

  20. 20

    Take the exit right toward I 55 South: Bloomington

    1864 ft · 46 sec

  21. 21

    Merge slight left

    62.4 mi · 1 hr 7 min

  22. 22

    Keep slight right to continue on I 55 South: Saint Louis, Springfield

    64.8 mi · 1 hr 10 min

  23. 23

    Keep slight right to continue on I 72 West, US 36 West: Jacksonville

    28.9 mi · 31 min

  24. 24

    Take the exit slight right toward I 72 Business West: Jacksonville

    1987 ft · 48 sec

  25. 25

    Keep slight left to continue on I 72 Business West: Jacksonville

    132 m · 12 sec

  26. 26

    Turn right onto Old Route 36

    1 km · 56 sec · Old Route 36

  27. 27

    Continue on East Morton Avenue

    2.5 mi · 4 min · East Morton Avenue

  28. 28

    Turn right onto South Main Street

    1.2 km · 1 min · South Main Street

  29. 29

    At the end of the road, turn right onto South Central Park Plaza

    10 m · 1 sec · South Central Park Plaza

  30. 30

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · South Central Park Plaza

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Crystal Lake and Jacksonville.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Highway-focused drive

Most of the mileage stays on named highways, so the important moments are ramps, exits, merges, and the final local approach.

Directions
30 steps
12 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
5
1 merges, 4 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
12.4 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 55 South
128 mi · 53%
I 72 West
28.9 mi · 12%
North Bridge Street
23.5 mi · 10%
South Randall Road
17.9 mi · 7%
Orchard Road
11.2 mi · 5%
North Randall Road
6.63 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

I 55 South

Keep slight right to continue on I 55 South: Saint Louis, Springfield

64.8 mi · 01h 10m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A longer out-and-back drive

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

Drive Time
04h 57m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
09h 54m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+43 mi
199.9 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Lexington
02h 28m from Crystal Lake
Leave By
7:06 AM CDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely leaving Crystal Lake and Chance Showers And Thunderstorms near Jacksonville.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Crystal Lake to Jacksonville?

The road trip is about 242.9 miles (390.9 km) and usually takes 04h 57m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Lexington is a useful midpoint, sitting about 121.5 miles from Crystal Lake and 121.5 miles from Jacksonville.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 199.9 miles (321.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 43 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:06 AM CDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $32.32 one way or $64.63 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 76.2 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Showers And Thunderstorms Likely around Crystal Lake and Chance Showers And Thunderstorms near Jacksonville.

Stop Ideas Near Lexington

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Lexington, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Lexington.

RAIL

Uptown Station

22 mi away
100 East Parkinson St.
RAIL

Pontiac station

29 mi away
721 West Washington St.
RAIL

Dwight station

58 mi away
119 West Main St.
RAIL

Rantoul

64 mi away
West Sangamon and North Kentucky Aves.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Crystal Lake and Jacksonville. Straight-line distance: 199.89 mi (321.69 km).

Crystal Lake

#1 Crystal Lake

City located in McHenry County, Illinois, USA

Population39,642
Coordinates42.2411300, -88.3162000
Altitude279
CountryUnited States
Jacksonville

#2 Jacksonville

City in Morgan County, Illinois, United States

Population18,488
Coordinates39.7339400, -90.2290100
Altitude186
CountryUnited States
Start: Crystal Lake (-88.3162, 42.24113)
End: Jacksonville (-90.22901, 39.73394)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 391 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)08h 05m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)06h 04m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)04h 51m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)04h 02m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)03h 28m
80 mph (129 km/h)03h 01m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
8.57 gal
32.45 L · about $32.32
Round trip
$64.63
17.14 gal · 64.9 L
Estimated CO2
76.2 kg one way
Round trip: 152.3 kg / 336 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $32.32 $64.63
Mid-grade $4.25 $36.45 $72.90
Premium $4.65 $39.88 $79.77
Diesel $5.30 $45.46 $90.91

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Illinois · Apr 15, 2026

There is no time difference between Crystal Lake and Jacksonville. The current time is 21:20:20.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.