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Major city · United States

Joliet

Give Joliet one full day, or one night if you want the casino or a Slammers game: Metra from Chicago is about 1 h 15 min.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, snow), Jul–Aug (heat and humidity)
Airports
ORD · MDW
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Joliet is a blue-collar river city 40 mi (65 km) southwest of Chicago, the seat of Will County and the biggest city in the South Suburbs. It is a rail junction on the old Route 66 alignment, with a limestone prison that starred in The Blues Brothers, a 1926 theatre, two riverboat casinos and minor-league baseball. Most travellers see it as a day trip from Chicago or a cheap bed outside the city; the sights sit in a compact downtown you can walk in an afternoon.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Joliet, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealFried-chicken dinner with sides$18–28
  • Street or quick mealDiner breakfast$10–16
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar$5–8
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or rideshare$12–18
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or theatre tour ticketcheck$10–25
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$150
  • Mid-range bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$140
  • High-end bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$250

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Old Joliet Prison (Illinois State Penitentiary)Rialto Square TheatreRiverboat casinos on the Des Plaines RiverRoute 66 historyJoliet Slammers baseball
Airports
ORD Chicago O'Hare (About 45–60 min by car via I-55 and I-294; no direct rail link to Joliet.) · MDW Chicago Midway (About 40–50 min by car; the closer of the two Chicago airports.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Joliet: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

0°C

−9°C

8 rd

Feb

3°C

−7°C

7 rd

Mar

10°C

−1°C

9 rd

Apr

17°C

4°C

10 rd

May

23°C

10°C

11 rd

Jun

28°C

15°C

10 rd

Jul

30°C

18°C

9 rd

Aug

29°C

17°C

9 rd

Sep

25°C

13°C

8 rd

Oct

18°C

6°C

8 rd

Nov

10°C

0°C

8 rd

Dec

2°C

−6°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical way to reach the speedway, the mall and the prison. Downtown is walkable in 15–20 min end to end. Pace buses serve the city and Metra plus Amtrak stop at Joliet station, 50 E Jefferson St, on the north edge of downtown.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Chicagogo

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min–1 h 30 min

Metra Rock Island District from Joliet station, or Amtrak Lincoln Service

Metra runs all week on the Rock Island line; the Heritage Corridor line is weekday-only and limited.

Starved Rock State Park

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

I-80 west then IL-178, by car

Canyons and trails; a full day, best in spring or after rain.

Route 66 towns (Plainfield, Gardner)

caution

Door to door: 20–50 min

I-55 south by car

Sights are scattered and thin; only worth it if you are driving the route anyway.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown Joliet

Walk to the Rialto, the casinos and the station; the smallest choice of beds, mostly the casino hotel.

Near Louis Joliet Mall (northwest)

Chain hotels off I-55 and US 30; free parking, but you drive to everything.

Larkin Avenue / I-80 (south)

Cheapest motels, close to the interstates; a car is required.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
$100–180 excl. bed
High
$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain-hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$140US$140
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$130US$260
Metra Joliet ↔ Chicago, both ways2 × US$15 · checkUS$30
Rental car, one day1 × US$60 · checkUS$60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$52
Trip total≈ US$286 per person per day, bed includedUS$572

2026 estimate in US dollars; prices are shown before sales tax. Flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Diner breakfast$10–16
Beef poorboy sandwichA local specialty; portions are large.$10–15
Fried-chicken dinner with sides$18–28
Draught beer in a bar$5–8
5 km taxi or rideshare$12–18
Museum or theatre tour ticketcheck$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Central Joliet is fine by day and busy around the casinos and ballpark at night. The real issues are winter driving, quiet streets away from downtown after dark, and relying on buses when a car is much faster.
  • Downtown is quiet after about 21:00 on weeknights; plan dinner before then or drive.
  • Winter brings snow and ice on I-80 and I-55: allow extra time and check road conditions.
  • Casino and bar areas are fine, but do not walk far east or south of downtown at night; drive instead.
  • Some sights are seasonal or by appointment only: check hours before you go.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Joliet police non-emergency
815-726-2491

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

JolietJoliet

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Joliet police non-emergency815-726-2491

Embassy

No embassies in Joliet; consulates-general are in Chicago, about 40 mi (65 km) northeast.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Metra Joliet → Chicago (Union Station): about $7–8 one way, about 1 h 15 min (check)
  • Amtrak Joliet → Chicago: about $10–20, about 50–60 min (check)
  • Rideshare downtown → Louis Joliet Mall: $15–22
  • Rental car, one day: $50–80 plus fuel (check)

Say or show

  • Where is the station? — Where is the station?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • A table for two, please — A table for two, please
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Is there parking here? — Is there parking here?

English is the only language you need.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Joliet. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, snow), Jul–Aug (heat and humidity) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ORD and MDW: drive times by hour, Metra and Amtrak last departures, taxi and rideshare fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: downtown and the Rialto, the prison and museum, the riverfront casinos, the ballpark.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Old Joliet Prison, Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet Area Historical Museum, Chicagoland Speedway) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and event-day fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources