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Trip from Aurora, IL to Sandwich, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

35m

Distance

22 mi

35 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Aurora, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Sandwich, IL, IL

Sandwich, IL

Costin Cerednicenco

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick excursion through the Illinois Midwest, the 22-mile stretch from Aurora to Sandwich is a straightforward choice. You can easily complete this drive in about 35 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a stress-free day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of approximately $3, it is an incredibly economical route for a weekend outing. You will primarily navigate via US 34, US 30, and Eldamain Road, keeping the journey efficient and simple. Since the entire trip takes place within the same region, you won't have to worry about shifting weather patterns or major changes in local driving culture. It is a practical, no-nonsense path that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary complexity.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 34 7.1 mi 13m
US 30 4.7 mi 6m
Eldamain Road 3.5 mi 5m
South Lake Street 2.9 mi 4m
Galena Road 2 mi 2m
North Bridge Street 1.2 mi 1m
South Main Street 0.1 mi <1m
West Galena Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 34 — 7.1 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and Sandwich, IL.

1

Start on West Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 15 sec · West Galena Boulevard
2

Turn right onto IL 31

2.9 mi · 4 min · South Lake Street
Use the right lane.
3

Turn right

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Use the right lane.
4

Turn straight onto US 30

4.7 mi · 6 min · US 30
Use the left lane.
5

Turn left onto North Bridge Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · North Bridge Street
6

Turn right onto Galena Road

2.0 mi · 2 min · Galena Road
Use the right lane.
7

Turn left onto Eldamain Road

3.5 mi · 5 min · Eldamain Road
Use the left lane.
8

Turn right onto US 34

2.8 mi · 5 min · US 34
Use the right lane.
9

Continue on US 34

3.0 mi · 5 min · US 34
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Continue on US 34

1.4 mi · 2 min · US 34
11

Turn right onto South Main Street

0.1 mi · 17 sec · South Main Street
12

Arrive at destination

North Main Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | IL 31 / South Lake Street

Turn right onto IL 31 / South Lake Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
3 mi into trip | ~4m in

Turn right

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
9.1 mi into trip | ~14m in | Galena Road

Turn right onto Galena Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
11.2 mi into trip | ~16m in | Eldamain Road

Turn left onto Eldamain Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
14.7 mi into trip | ~22m in | US 34

Turn right onto US 34

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.44 one way

$6.88 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.78 $7.55
premium $4.89 $4.23 $8.47
diesel $5.61 $4.86 $9.71

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.6 0 $2.31 $1.06
Efficient EV 5.5 0 $1.92 $0.88
EV Truck/SUV 8.8 0 $3.08 $1.41

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 Apr 14, 2026

Origin

Aurora, IL

Afternoon in Aurora on Sunday

Local time

2:34 PM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 15 mph 71% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 9:43PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 9:43PM CDT until April 19 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Sandwich, IL

Afternoon in Sandwich on Sunday

Local time

2:34 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°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

13 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

35m 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?

This 22-mile trek offers a mixed driving profile that keeps the journey from feeling like a monotonous interstate grind. About 54% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a nice balance between steady speed and local road navigation. You will hit your longest uninterrupted stretch of 7.1 miles while traveling on US 34, which allows for a consistent pace before the route transitions. As you move between the main roads, the character of the drive shifts from more developed areas to the quieter surroundings typical of this part of Illinois. You should expect a functional, varied experience behind the wheel that avoids the fatigue often associated with longer, purely highway-based travel.

54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.1 mi on US 34.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near IL 31 / South Lake Street.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 22 miles you will encounter 8 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: at 0.1 miles (IL 31 / South Lake Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (Galena Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

683 ft 612 ft

Total Climb

131 ft

Total Descent

142 ft

Highest Point

683 ft

~11 mi in

Elevation Range

71 ft

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

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 35m. Total distance: 22 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

35m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.1 miles on US 34. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Sandwich, 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 / South Lake Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (Galena Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sandwich, 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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