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Trip from Arlington Heights, IL to Elmwood Park, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

17.9 mi

29 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; suburb of Chicago, Illinois

Arlington Heights, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Arlington Heights, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is 17.9 miles and takes about 30m via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two communities in the Midwest region. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick transit, offering a straightforward path without extensive travel time. You'll primarily navigate surface roads for most of the way, making it a practical option for local commutes or quick errands.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 7.8 mi 8m
North Arlington Heights Road 3.3 mi 6m
North Cumberland Avenue 3.1 mi 6m
West Grand Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
Cumberland flyover 1 mi 1m
North Thatcher Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
North 73rd Court 0.1 mi <1m
73rd Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Jane Addams Memorial Tollway — 7.8 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Arlington Heights, IL and Elmwood Park, IL.

1

Start on East Euclid Avenue

48 ft · 5 sec · East Euclid Avenue
2

Turn right onto North Arlington Heights Road

3.3 mi · 6 min · North Arlington Heights Road
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Toward I 90 East: Chicago Use the slight right lane.
4

Merge onto I 90

7.2 mi · 7 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
5

Keep slight right at fork onto I 90

0.3 mi · 21 sec · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Toward Cumberland Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90

526 ft · 29 sec · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
7

Merge onto I 90

402 ft · 4 sec · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
8

Take the exit onto Cumberland flyover

1.0 mi · 1 min · Cumberland flyover
Exit 79A Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork

245 ft · 8 sec
Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue
10

Turn right onto IL 171

3.1 mi · 6 min · North Cumberland Avenue
Use the right lane.
11

Continue on IL 171

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Thatcher Avenue
12

Turn left onto West Grand Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · West Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto 73rd Avenue

361 ft · 11 sec · 73rd Avenue
14

Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue

190 ft · 10 sec · West Fullerton Avenue
15

Turn left onto North 73rd Court

0.1 mi · 34 sec · North 73rd Court
16

Turn left onto West Belden Avenue

160 ft · 9 sec · West Belden Avenue
17

Turn right

186 ft · 13 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 12.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
3.3 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp toward I 90 East: Chicago

Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 90 East: Chicago
7
10.9 mi into trip | ~15m in | I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway toward Cumberland Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Cumberland Avenue
7
11.4 mi into trip | ~16m in | Cumberland flyover

Take the exit onto Cumberland flyover toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue South

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 79A Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue South
5
12.5 mi into trip | ~18m in

Keep slight left at fork toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue
5
12.5 mi into trip | ~18m in | IL 171 / North Cumberland Avenue

Turn right onto IL 171 / North Cumberland Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.80 one way

$5.60 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.07 $6.15
premium $4.89 $3.44 $6.89
diesel $5.61 $3.95 $7.90

Estimated Tolls: $0.51

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (7.2 mi) $0.51

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$1

Total

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.4 0 $1.88 $0.86
Efficient EV 4.5 0 $1.57 $0.72
EV Truck/SUV 7.2 0 $2.51 $1.15

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (67% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Arlington Heights, IL

Morning in Arlington Heights on Tuesday

Local time

6:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Partly Sunny

WNW 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 3:56PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 3:56PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Elmwood Park, IL

Morning in Elmwood Park on Tuesday

Local time

6:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Partly Sunny

W 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 3:56PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 3:56PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

1 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

30m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is predominantly on surface roads, with only a small portion, if any, on the highway. The longest continuous stretch on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway measures 7.8 miles, after which you'll transition to local streets. Expect a consistent pace on urban and suburban roads, with potential for traffic lights and intersections. This is not a high-speed highway run; rather, it's a familiar drive through developed areas.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.3 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 17.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (Cumberland flyover): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 17.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.51 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Elmwood Park, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 3.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (Cumberland flyover): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elmwood Park, IL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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