Origin
Aurora, IL
Late night in Aurora on Sunday
Local time
2:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, IL to Carpentersville, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
28.1 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Carpentersville, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Aurora, IL to Carpentersville, IL is 28.1 miles and takes about 49m via Kirk Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region and the state of Illinois, making it a straightforward local excursion. Given its modest distance and duration, it's ideal for a quick afternoon drive or a component of a larger regional exploration. You'll primarily be on surface roads, so expect typical suburban and local traffic patterns rather than high-speed highway travel. This route is perfect if you're looking for a simple transit between two Illinois communities without significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kirk Road | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| North Kirk Road | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| South Kennedy Drive | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| IL 25 | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Dunham Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| North Lake Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 2 mi | 2m |
| North Liberty Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Kirk Road
— 5.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and Carpentersville, IL.
1
Start on West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
2
Turn left onto IL 31
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Lake Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on South Lincolnway Street
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
4
Take the ramp
387 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
this road
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
7
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 119
Toward Farnsworth Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto North Farnsworth Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Farnsworth Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on CR 77
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Kirk Road
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on CR 77
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Kirk Road
Use the left lane.
12
Continue on CR 77
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
North Kirk Road
13
Continue on CR 19
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Dunham Road
14
Continue on IL 25
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
IL 25
15
Turn right onto IL 25
328 ft
·
13 sec
·
Bluff City Boulevard
16
Turn left onto IL 25
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Liberty Street
17
Continue on IL 25
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Liberty Street
18
Continue on IL 25
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dundee Avenue
19
Continue on IL 25
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
South Kennedy Drive
20
Arrive at destination
IL 25
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 31 / North Lake Street
Turn left onto IL 31 / North Lake Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago...
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 88 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
5
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Farnsworth Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 119
Toward Farnsworth Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.29 one way
$8.57 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $4.72 | $9.44 |
| premium | $4.81 | $5.32 | $10.63 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $5.98 | $11.95 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.12
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(2 mi)
$0.12
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Carpentersville, IL
Late night in Carpentersville on Sunday
Local time
2:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
41°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
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
49m 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 consists of mostly surface roads, with only about 10% on highways. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch of 5.1 miles on Kirk Road, which is a key part of your path. Expect to navigate through local streets and intersections for the majority of the 28.1 miles. The transition from any highway segments to surface roads will likely involve a noticeable decrease in speed and an increase in traffic signals.
Only 10% 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: 5.1 mi on Kirk Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.1 miles in near IL 31 / North Lake Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 28.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IL 31 / North Lake Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Aurora, IL to Carpentersville, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Dekalb-Iowa along the way.
Dekalb-Iowa
2.6 mi in
|
~4m
About the Cities
Starting in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
Top landmarks
- • Aurora University — private university in Aurora, Illinois, U.S
- • Hotel Arthur — United States historic place
- • Graham Building — historic building in Aurora, Illinois
Arriving in Carpentersville, IL
Full guide →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 49m. Total distance: 28.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 miles on Kirk Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.12 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan 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.
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 Carpentersville, 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 0.1 miles (IL 31 / North Lake Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Carpentersville, 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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