Origin
Aurora, IL
Late night in Aurora on Friday
Local time
2:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, IL to River Grove, 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
49m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
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
River Grove, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Aurora, IL to River Grove, IL covers 34.3 miles and takes about 49m 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, South 1st Avenue, Eisenhower Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.8 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.32 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 23.8 mi | 29m |
| South 1st Avenue | 3.8 mi | 8m |
| Eisenhower Expressway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| North Lake Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Galena Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bataan Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Thatcher Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 23.8 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and River Grove, 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
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 20
Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive
381 ft
·
17 sec
·
Bataan Drive
12
Turn left onto IL 171
3.8 mi
·
8 min
·
South 1st Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Arrive at destination
IL 171
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.1 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 30.5 — 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.
7
30.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 20
Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
6
30.5 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
IL 171 / South 1st Avenue
Turn left onto IL 171 / South 1st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.32 one way
$10.64 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.65 | $13.31 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.56 | $15.12 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(23.8 mi)
$1.43
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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 Grove, IL
Late night in River Grove on Friday
Local time
2:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°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
17 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
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?
34.3 mi in 49m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.8 mi on Ronald Reagan 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 2.6 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 8 decision points packed into just 34.3 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 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
758 ft
618 ft
Total Climb
133 ft
Total Descent
181 ft
Highest Point
758 ft
~17.1 mi in
Elevation Range
140 ft
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 River Grove, 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 River Grove, 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: 34.3 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.8 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.43 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 River Grove, 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 — 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 Grove, 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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