Origin
Arlington Heights, IL
Late night in Arlington Heights on Tuesday
Local time
5:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington Heights, IL to Lawrence, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
56.3 mi
91 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington Heights, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Lawrence, IL
Mike Tyurin
Trip Overview
Arlington Heights, IL to Lawrence, IL is 56.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 16 minutes via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, making it a straightforward hop across the Midwest. You'll be navigating a local drive with a fair number of turns, so don't expect a high-speed interstate cruise. Given the short duration, it's an easy day trip, perfect for a quick excursion without needing an overnight stay. Plan for a simple journey that requires minimal logistical planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 28.1 mi | 30m |
| South State Street | 10.6 mi | 16m |
| East Grant Highway | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| North Arlington Heights Road | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| Lawrence Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| West Brink Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| South Division Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| U.S. Grant Memorial Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 28.1 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington Heights, IL and Lawrence, IL.
1
Start on East Euclid Avenue
48 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Euclid Avenue
2
Turn right onto North Arlington Heights Road
3.1 mi
·
6 min
·
North Arlington Heights Road
3
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
4
Merge onto I 90
28 mi
·
30 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42
Toward US 20: Hampshire, Marengo
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
At end of road, turn left onto US 20
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
7
Continue on US 20
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
East Grant Highway
8
Enter roundabout onto US 20
90 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Grant Highway
9
Continue on US 20
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
East Grant Highway
10
Enter roundabout onto US 20
198 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Grant Highway
11
Continue on US 20
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
East Grant Highway
12
Turn right onto IL 23
11 mi
·
16 min
·
South State Street
13
At end of road, turn left onto US 14
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Division Street
14
Turn left onto IL 173
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
West Brink Street
15
Turn right onto T50
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lawrence Road
16
Turn left onto T50
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Ramer Road
17
Keep slight right at fork onto T50
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Lawrence Road
18
Turn right onto T50
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Oak Grove Road
19
Turn right
79 ft
·
5 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.2 miles from Arlington Heights, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 56.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Arlington Heights Road
Turn right onto North Arlington Heights Road
Navigation decision point
5
3.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
31.9 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward US 20: Hampshire, Marengo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 42
Toward US 20: Hampshire, Marengo
4
33.5 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
US 20 / East Grant Highway
Enter roundabout onto US 20 / East Grant Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
56.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.80 one way
$17.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.66 | $19.33 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.83 | $21.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.43 | $24.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.97
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(28.1 mi)
$1.97
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$2
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.91 | $2.70 |
| Efficient EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.93 | $2.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.5 | 0 | $7.88 | $3.60 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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.
Destination
Lawrence, IL
Late night in Lawrence on Tuesday
Local time
5:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
63°F
Coral, IL
28 mi in
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 16m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll encounter frequent turns rather than long, straight highway stretches. With a 0% highway share, expect to be on surface streets and county roads for the entire 56.3 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 28.1 miles, primarily on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, before transitioning to local roads like South State Street and East Grant Highway. This profile suggests a driving experience that requires constant attention to navigation and road conditions, more akin to navigating a series of towns than a dedicated highway.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.1 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Arlington Heights Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.3 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Arlington Heights Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Arlington Heights, IL to Lawrence, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Marengo along the way.
Marengo
31.9 mi in
|
~37m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 56.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.1 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.97 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 4 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.
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: near the start (North Arlington Heights Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lawrence, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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