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Gurnee, IL Road Trips

Plan drives from Gurnee, IL with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

village in Lake County, Illinois, United States

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Trip Routes

2

Longest Drive

41.3 mi

Chicago, IL

Quickest Drive

48m

Crystal Lake, IL

Plan Around Gurnee, IL

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Gurnee, IL is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Gurnee, IL by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

30,486

Median Income

$121,410

Median Home Value

$331,100

Median Age

40.4

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Gurnee, IL at a Glance

Founded

1928

Elevation

679 ft

Area

13 mi²

Notable People from Gurnee, IL

A sampling of people born in Gurnee, IL.

Kevin Anderson

1960

American actor

Brandon Paul

Brandon Paul

1991

American basketball player

Greg Rallo

Greg Rallo

1981

American ice hockey player

Landmarks & Historic Sites

Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Gurnee, IL.

Goliath (Six Flags Great America)

Goliath (Six Flags Great America)

wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois

The Flash: Vertical Velocity

The Flash: Vertical Velocity

amusement ride in Six Flags Great America

Shockwave

Shockwave

roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois

Sky Trek Tower

Sky Trek Tower

observation tower in Gurnee, Illinois

Space Shuttle America

Space Shuttle America

defunct motion simulator ride at Six Flags Great America

Mardi Gras Hangover

Mardi Gras Hangover

Amusement ride at Six Flags Great America

Giant Drop

Giant Drop

Drop tower attraction at Six Flags Great America

City data from Wikidata (Q277066), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Gurnee, IL

Gurnee is a village in Illinois. It sits at the midpoint between Chicago and Milwaukee. It's best known as the home of the Six Flags Great America amusement park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago water park, the Gurnee Mills shopping mall, and a Great Wolf Lodge location. As such, Gurnee sees over 23 million visitors every year.

1 Pyramid House, 37921 N. Dilleys Rd, Wadsworth. Actually a private home, this house is a great drive-by sight or you can tour it on a limited schedule. Its magical chakras did not save it from a fire in 2018, so tours are unlikely being offered right now. (updated Apr 2019)

1 Six Flags Great America, 542 N Route 21 (at Grand Ave./Route 132), ☏ +1 847-249-1776. Chicagoland's premier amusement park, noted for its many roller coasters and other thrill rides, as well as for the nation's largest carousel. 2 Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago, 542 N Route 21 (at Grand Ave./Route 132, adjacent to the Six Flags Great America theme park), ☏ +1 847-249-1776. Home to many water-slides, including the world's tallest water coaster. (updated Dec 2025)

Gurnee has a wide variety of chain and local restaurants and eateries. 1 Five Guys, 6310 Grand Ave, Ste 102, ☏ +1-847-855-1220. Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. (updated Sep 2018) 2 Salutos, 7680 Grand Avenue, ☏ +1-847-356-6900, fax: +1-847-356-4334. Upscale Italian restaurant serving a wide variety of pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and unique entrees. Unlimited salad & bread-sticks can be had. One of the few non-chain restaurants in Gurnee. (updated Sep 2018) 3 Portillo's, 6102 W Grand Ave, ☏ +1-847-264-5060. 10:30AM-midnight. (updated Apr 2019) 4 Tina's Italian Cafe and Bake Shop, 5101 West Washington Street, ☏ +1-847-244-9001. (updated Sep 2018) 5 Gurnee Donuts, 4949 Grand Ave #9A, ☏ +1-847-249-4757, [email protected]. 6am - 2pm, closed on Monday. Donut shop popular among locals. Show up early for the best selection—they are usually out by closing time. Also serves decent coffee. (updated Apr 2022)

1 Comfort Inn Gurnee Hotel, 6080 Gurnee Mills Circle E, ☏ +1 847 855-8866. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Hotel has an indoor pool, and includes grab-n-go breakfast and WiFi. Small dogs allowed (up to 20 lbs.) Non-smoking. (updated Nov 2021) 2 Baymont Inn And Suites Gurnee, 5430 Grand Avenue, ☏ +1 847-505-0029. Located across the street from the Six Flags Great America Amusement Park providing hours of family entertainment. Near Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall. 3 Great Wolf Lodge (formerly KeyLime Cove), 1700 Nation Dr, ☏ +1 844 482-9653. Wilderness themed hotel near Gurnee Mills. (updated Nov 2021)

Interstate 94, a north-south artery linking Chicago and Milwaukee, runs right through Gurnee. Gurnee is also accessible via US 41, US 45 and Illinois 21. Two Metra lines serve Gurnee, albeit indirectly. The Union Pacific North Line between Kenosha and the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago serves Waukegan, and the North Central Service between Antioch and Chicago Union Station serves Grayslake. Washington Street links the two stations, with Gurnee in between. Several Pace bus lines serve the Gurnee area, including the 565 which runs from the right near the Metra station in Waukegan all the way to the Gurnee Mills area. Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the closest airport to Gurnee. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is the next closest.

Grand Avenue, which is part of Illinois State Route 132, is the main strip of the town. Six Flags Great America and the Gurnee Mills Mall are both located on Grand. Washington Street is the other primary east-west thoroughfare.

Travel tips adapted from Gurnee on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

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