Origin
Arlington Heights, IL
Evening in Arlington Heights on Friday
Local time
5:59 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington Heights, IL to River Forest, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
18.5 mi
30 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington Heights, IL
Wikimedia Commons
River Forest, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Arlington Heights to River Forest is 18.5 miles and takes about 34 minutes via East Northwest Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Illinois. It's a straightforward drive that primarily uses surface roads, making it easy to navigate. Consider this route if you need a quick, no-fuss connection between these two suburban areas.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Northwest Highway | 5.3 mi | 8m |
| Mannheim Road | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Des Plaines River Road | 3.8 mi | 7m |
| North Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Lawrence Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lathrop Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Graceland Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Lee Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
East Northwest Highway
— 5.3 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington Heights, IL and River Forest, IL.
1
Start on East Euclid Avenue
48 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Euclid Avenue
2
Turn right onto North Arlington Heights Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Arlington Heights Road
3
Turn left onto US 14
5.3 mi
·
8 min
·
East Northwest Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on US 14
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Miner Street
5
Turn right onto US 12; US 45
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Graceland Avenue
6
Turn straight onto US 12; US 45
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lee Street
7
Turn straight onto US 12; US 45
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Mannheim Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left onto Lawrence Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lawrence Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto Des Plaines River Road
3.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Des Plaines River Road
10
Turn straight onto IL 171
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North 1st Avenue
11
Turn left onto IL 64
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto Lathrop Avenue
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Lathrop Avenue
13
Turn left onto Augusta Street
318 ft
·
10 sec
·
Augusta Street
14
Arrive at destination
Augusta Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.7 — 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
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 14 / East Northwest Highway
Turn left onto US 14 / East Northwest Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
11.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Lawrence Avenue
Turn left onto Lawrence Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
12.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Des Plaines River Road
Turn right onto Des Plaines River Road
Navigation decision point
6
16.7 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
IL 64 / North Avenue
Turn left onto IL 64 / North Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.87 one way
$5.74 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $3.15 | $6.29 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.59 | $7.18 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $4.08 | $8.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
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.
Destination
River Forest, IL
Evening in River Forest on Friday
Local time
5:59 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
2 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
34m 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 drive is entirely on surface roads, with 0% highway use. You'll spend most of your time on local streets, with the longest continuous stretch being 5.3 miles on East Northwest Highway. Expect a consistent pace as you navigate through developed areas without the interruptions of highway exits.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.3 mi on East Northwest Highway.
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 9 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 18.5 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.4 miles (US 14 / East Northwest Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (Lawrence Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
703 ft
622 ft
Total Climb
33 ft
Total Descent
109 ft
Highest Point
703 ft
Elevation Range
81 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Arlington Heights, IL
Full guide →Founded 1887
Arlington Heights is a city in northeastern Chicagoland. The 2010 Census put the population at 75,101, the largest for a village in the United States. Arlington Heights is known for the Arlington Park Race Track as well as a large Japanese community, third in the state behind neighboring Schaumburg and Chicago proper. Some notable people have come from the village as well, including Walter Payton, Ted Nugent, and Ray Kroc (founder of McDonald's).
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 34m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.3 miles on East Northwest Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.4 miles (US 14 / East Northwest Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (Lawrence Avenue): 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 River Forest, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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