Rockford Transportation

Getting to the Rockford Region is easy, especially if you live in Chicago (60 miles from O'Hare), Madison (60 miles) or Milwaukee (80 miles). And once you're here, you'll feel like you're a million miles from the work-a-day world of home. 

So whether you're looking for a weekend getaway, a group tour destination or great meeting place, getting here is as about as easy as saying "Real, Original Rockford."

Approximate driving distance and time to Rockford

  • Bloomington-Normal, IL - 131 miles - 2 to 2-1/2 hours - Go north on I-39
  • Champaign-Urbana, IL - 190 miles - 3 to 3-1/2 hours - Go northwest on I-74 to Bloomington-Normal, then north on I-39
  • Chicago (downtown) - 90 miles - 1-1/2 to 2 hours - Go west on I-90
  • Chicago (O'Hare) - 60 miles - 60 minutes - Go west on I-90
  • Des Moines, IA - 240 miles - 4-1/2 hours - Go east on I-80 to the Quad Cities, then east on I-88 to Rochelle, and north on I-39
  • Detroit, MI - 350 miles - 6 hours - Go west on I-94 to Chicago, then west on I-90
  • Dubuque, IA - 90 miles - 2 to 2-1/2 hours - Go east on US Highway 20
  • Indianapolis, IN - 260 miles - 5 hours - Go west on I-74 to Bloomington-Normal, then north on I-39
  • Milwaukee, WI - 100 miles - 1-1/2 to 2 hours - Go south on I-43 to Beloit, and east on I-90 to Rockford
  • Minneapolis, MN - 345 miles - 5 to 5-1/2 hours - Go east on I-94 to Madison, then east on I-90
  • Peoria, IL - 135 miles - 2-1/2 hours - Go west on US Highway 24 to El Paso, then north on I-39
  • Quad Cities, IL & IA - 125 miles - 2 hours - Go east on I-88 to Rochelle, then north on I-39
  • Springfield, IL - 207 miles - 3 to 3-1/2 hours - Go north on I-55 to Bloomington-Normal, then north on I-39
    (For a variety of more direct routes that do not rely on interstate highways, consult any of the many online maps.)
     

Shuttles, Buses, Car Rentals

Rockford Rides – 630-440-6691 – provides transportation near Rockford, Schaumburg, Chicago and Milwaukee, including airport shuttle service. Now offering Hard Rock Casino Rockford Shuttle Service. www.rkfdrides.com

Van Galder Bus Company (Coach USA) offers 18 daily shuttles from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Rockford and 27 daily shuttles from Rockford to O'Hare. www.govangalder.com

Greyhound’s Chicago-to-Danville, Illinois route stops in Rockford at the RMTD’s East Side Transfer Center, 725 N. Lyford Rd. Arrival time 8:35 a.m.; Departure time 5:15 p.m. www.greyhound.com; www.rmtd.org

815 Honey Bee's - 815-494-4204 / 773-431-1496 - offers taxi service, airport transportation, delivery and courier service and delivery, with a flat rate for some services. www.815honeybees.com

Car Rentals
Avis
: Chicago Rockford International Airport: www.avis.com
Enterprise: four area locations - www.enterprise.com
Hertz: Holiday Inn & Chicago Rockford International Airport - www.hertz.com
National / Alamo / Enterprise: Chicago Rockford International Airport - www.nationalcar.com