How far is Elgin, IL from McLeansboro, IL?

The driving distance from Elgin, IL to McLeansboro, IL is about 332.1 miles (534.4 km), with a travel time of about 06h 26m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 272.8 miles (439.1 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 12h 52m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 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
332.06 mi
06h 26m
Flight
272.83 mi
439.07 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Elgin.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
272.83 mi
Kilometers
439.07 km
Flight Time
00h 32m

Driving Distance

Road route
332.06 mi
Kilometers
534.4 km
Drive Time
06h 26m

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 06h 26m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in McLeansboro
Fri, Apr 17, 7:21 PM CDT
Return by in Elgin
Sat, Apr 18, 1:47 AM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Elgin
2026-04-17T12:55
Arrive McLeansboro
Fri, Apr 17, 7:21 PM CDT
Route Timing
06h 26m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
12:26 PM to 1:56 PM CDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
11:08 PM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Elgin
8:00 PM CDT
Overnight-style route

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
Savoy
IL

Town

From Elgin
166.1 mi
03h 13m
To McLeansboro
166 mi
03h 13m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
78°F
Friday

Partly Sunny

Starts
Fri, Apr 17 6:00 AM CDT
Wind
5 to 15 mph SSE
Destination
87°F
Friday

Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Fri, Apr 17 6:00 AM CDT
Wind
2 to 12 mph S

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Elgin and McLeansboro.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elgin and McLeansboro.

  1. 1

    Start on East Chicago Street

    10 m · 5 sec · East Chicago Street

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Villa Street

    2.4 mi · 4 min · Villa Street

  3. 3

    Merge slight right onto Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway

    1583 ft · 29 sec · Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway

  4. 4

    Continue on West Lake Street

    5.2 mi · 7 min · West Lake Street

  5. 5

    Continue on Lake Street

    6.7 mi · 11 min · Lake Street

  6. 6

    Continue on West Lake Street

    5.1 mi · 8 min · West Lake Street

  7. 7

    Take the ramp left toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago

    3.1 mi · 4 min

  8. 8

    Take the exit slight right toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana

    1648 ft · 40 sec

  9. 9

    Continue on Tri-State Tollway

    1937 ft · 47 sec · Tri-State Tollway

  10. 10

    Keep slight left to continue on Tri-State Tollway

    1 mi · 2 min · Tri-State Tollway

  11. 11

    Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway

    42 m · 2 sec · Tri-State Tollway

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on Tri-State Tollway

    4.8 mi · 6 min · Tri-State Tollway

  13. 13

    Keep slight right to continue on Tri-State Tollway

    3.5 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway

  14. 14

    Continue on Mile-Long Bridge

    1.5 km · 1 min · Mile-Long Bridge

  15. 15

    Continue on Tri-State Tollway

    8.5 mi · 11 min · Tri-State Tollway

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight right toward IL 50 South, IL 83: Cicero Avenue, 127th Street

    1162 ft · 28 sec

  17. 17

    Keep slight left to continue on IL 50 South: Cicero Avenue

    2529 ft · 1 min

  18. 18

    Turn straight onto Cicero Avenue

    4.9 mi · 8 min · Cicero Avenue

  19. 19

    Turn left onto 167th Street

    855 ft · 26 sec · 167th Street

  20. 20

    Take the ramp slight right toward I 57 South: Kankakee, I-80

    3048 ft · 1 min

  21. 21

    Merge slight left

    188.4 mi · 3 hr 24 min

  22. 22

    Keep slight left to continue on I 57 South: Memphis

    65.7 mi · 1 hr 11 min

  23. 23

    Keep slight left to continue on I 64 East: Louisville

    10.7 mi · 12 min

  24. 24

    Take the exit slight right toward Belle Rive, Bluford

    1901 ft · 36 sec

  25. 25

    Turn right onto County Highway 17

    736 ft · 15 sec · County Highway 17

  26. 26

    Continue on Brehm Lane

    2.2 mi · 4 min · Brehm Lane

  27. 27

    Continue on North Main Street

    2227 ft · 46 sec · North Main Street

  28. 28

    Turn left

    11.5 mi · 17 min

  29. 29

    Continue on County Road 6

    3.8 mi · 6 min · County Road 6

  30. 30

    Turn right onto South Washington Street

    134 m · 13 sec · South Washington Street

  31. 31

    Turn left onto East Main Street

    132 m · 13 sec · East Main Street

  32. 32

    Turn left onto South Jackson Street

    56 m · 3 sec · South Jackson Street

  33. 33

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · South Jackson Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Elgin and McLeansboro.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
33 steps
8 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
8
3 merges, 5 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
9.9 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 57 South
255 mi · 77%
Tri-State Tollway
18.2 mi · 5%
I 64 East
10.7 mi · 3%
West Lake Street
10.3 mi · 3%
Lake Street
6.73 mi · 2%
Cicero Avenue
4.89 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

I 57 South

Merge slight left

188 mi · 03h 24m

Route Summary

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

Trip Read

Better with a longer stop

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

Drive Time
06h 26m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
12h 52m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+59.3 mi
272.8 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Savoy
03h 13m from Elgin
Leave By
11:08 PM CDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Partly Sunny leaving Elgin and Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms near McLeansboro.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Elgin to McLeansboro?

The road trip is about 332.1 miles (534.4 km) and usually takes 06h 26m in normal driving conditions.

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

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Savoy is a useful midpoint, sitting about 166.1 miles from Elgin and 166 miles from McLeansboro.

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

The direct path is about 272.8 miles (439.1 km), while the road route adds roughly 59.3 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 7:30 AM CDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $44.20 one way or $88.39 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 104.2 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Partly Sunny around Elgin and Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms near McLeansboro.

Stop Ideas Near Savoy

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Savoy, 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 Savoy.

RAIL

Illinois Terminal

7 mi away
45 East University Ave.
RAIL

Rantoul

29 mi away
West Sangamon and North Kentucky Aves.
BUS

Danville, Illinois

53 mi away
379 Lynch Road
RAIL

Mattoon station

65 mi away
1718 Broadway Ave.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Elgin and McLeansboro. Straight-line distance: 272.83 mi (439.07 km).

Elgin

#1 Elgin

The second most populous city in Kane County, Illinois.

Population110,196
Coordinates42.0372500, -88.2811900
Altitude227
CountryUnited States
McLeansboro

#2 McLeansboro

City in Illinois

Population2,730
Coordinates38.0933800, -88.5356100
Altitude150
CountryUnited States
Start: Elgin (-88.28119, 42.03725)
End: McLeansboro (-88.53561, 38.09338)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 534 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)11h 03m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)08h 18m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)06h 38m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)05h 32m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)04h 44m
80 mph (129 km/h)04h 08m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
11.72 gal
44.36 L · about $44.20
Round trip
$88.39
23.44 gal · 88.72 L
Estimated CO2
104.2 kg one way
Round trip: 208.3 kg / 459 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $44.20 $88.39
Mid-grade $4.25 $49.85 $99.69
Premium $4.65 $54.54 $109.09
Diesel $5.30 $62.16 $124.33

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 17, 2026

There is no time difference between Elgin and McLeansboro. The current time is 12:55:11.

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.