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Trip from Aurora, IL to Palos Hills, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

54m

Distance

39.4 mi

63 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m

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

Best Time
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Download GPX
city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Aurora, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Illinois, United States

Palos Hills, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Aurora, IL to Palos Hills, IL covers 39.4 miles and takes about 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Tri-State Tollway, North Lake Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.5 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.11 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 21.5 mi 26m
Tri-State Tollway 10.4 mi 12m
North Lake Street 2.2 mi 4m
South Roberts Road 1.5 mi 3m
Mile-Long Bridge 0.9 mi 1m
West 95th Street 0.5 mi 1m
South Lincolnway Street 0.4 mi <1m
West Galena Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 21.5 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and Palos Hills, 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

18 mi · 22 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

3.7 mi · 4 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Exit 138 Toward I 294 South, IL 38: Indiana Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork

1.0 mi · 2 min
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 294

3.6 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

3.5 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on I 294

0.9 mi · 1 min · Mile-Long Bridge
14

Continue on I 294

3.3 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Exit 17B Toward US 12 West, US 20 West: 95th Street Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn straight onto US 12; US 20

0.5 mi · 1 min · West 95th Street
17

Turn left onto South Roberts Road

1.5 mi · 3 min · South Roberts Road
Use the left lane.
18

Turn left onto 107th Street

16 ft · 0 sec · 107th Street
19

Arrive at destination

107th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Elmhurst, IL

20 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

Evergreen Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lisle, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Aurora, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 37.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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
6
20.9 mi into trip | ~28m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
24.5 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward I 294 South, IL 38: Indiana

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 138 Toward I 294 South, IL 38: Indiana
8
37.2 mi into trip | ~49m in

Take the exit toward US 12 West, US 20 West: 95th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 17B Toward US 12 West, US 20 West: 95th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.11 one way

$12.22 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $6.70 $13.40
premium $4.93 $7.64 $15.29
diesel $5.60 $8.69 $17.37

Estimated Tolls: $1.92

Reagan Memorial Tollway (21.5 mi) $1.29
Tri-state Tollway (10.4 mi) $0.63

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$2

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.8 0 $4.14 $1.89
Efficient EV 9.9 0 $3.45 $1.58
EV Truck/SUV 15.8 0 $5.52 $2.52

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 Aug 29, 2026

Origin

Aurora, IL

Night in Aurora on Wednesday

Local time

10:26 PM

CDT

Current temp

60°F

Partly Cloudy

S 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:55PM CDT until August 30 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:36PM CDT until August 30 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Palos Hills, IL

Night in Palos Hills on Wednesday

Local time

10:26 PM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Partly Cloudy

SSW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:55PM CDT until August 30 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:36PM CDT until August 30 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

70°F

Elmhurst, IL

20 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

4 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

54m 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?

39.4 mi in 54m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.5 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 2.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 12 decision points packed into just 39.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: 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; at 20.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

752 ft 592 ft

Total Climb

135 ft

Total Descent

215 ft

Highest Point

752 ft

~19.7 mi in

Elevation Range

159 ft

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 Palos Hills, 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 Palos Hills, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1958

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 54m. Total distance: 39.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m 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 21.5 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.92 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 Palos Hills, 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 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; at 20.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): 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 Palos Hills, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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