Origin
Belvidere, IL
Afternoon in Belvidere on Monday
Local time
12:39 PM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Belvidere, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
55.5 mi
89 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Belvidere, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Belvidere, IL to Des Plaines, IL is 55.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 8 minutes via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. You'll primarily be on toll roads for a good portion of the drive, making it a straightforward and efficient option. Given its short duration, it's an ideal route for a quick getaway or a segment of a larger road trip, offering a simple transit between these two locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 47.6 mi | 50m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Oakton Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Belvidere Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Logan Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Genoa Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Algonquin Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 47.6 mi, about 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Belvidere, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on East Perry Street
59 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Perry Street
2
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
3
Turn left onto Logan Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Logan Avenue
4
Turn right onto US 20 Business
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Belvidere Road
5
Continue on CR T40
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Genoa Road
6
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
7
Merge onto I 90
12 mi
·
12 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
36 mi
·
38 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 73
Toward Elmhurst Road
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
288 ft
·
9 sec
Toward Elmhurst Road North
Use the slight left lane.
11
Turn straight onto South Elmhurst Road
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
South Elmhurst Road
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Turn right onto West Oakton Street
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
West Oakton Street
Use the right lane.
13
Continue on West Oakton Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Oakton Street
14
Continue on East Oakton Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
15
Turn left onto US 12; US 45
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Lee Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto East Algonquin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Algonquin Road
17
Turn left onto White Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
White Street
18
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
262 ft
·
11 sec
·
Henry Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.8 miles from Belvidere, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.5 and 51.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
3.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
15.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
51.1 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward Elmhurst Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 73
Toward Elmhurst Road
7
51.5 mi into trip
|
~59m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Elmhurst Road North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Elmhurst Road North
6
51.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
West Oakton Street
Turn right onto West Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.60 one way
$17.21 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $9.44 | $18.87 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.77 | $21.54 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.23 | $24.47 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.33
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(47.6 mi)
$3.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$3
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.83 | $2.66 |
| Efficient EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.86 | $2.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.77 | $3.55 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Des Plaines, IL
Afternoon in Des Plaines on Monday
Local time
12:39 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
18 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
1h 8m 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 features a significant stretch on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, covering 47.6 miles. After this main tollway segment, you'll transition to surface roads like East Oakton Street and West Oakton Street. With no highway share listed for the primary route, expect the latter part of your drive to involve more local traffic and intersections as you approach your destination. The longest continuous stretch is on the tollway, indicating a period of higher-speed cruising before reaching more local thoroughfares.
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: 47.6 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 3.5 miles in near I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 3.5 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 51.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
906 ft
632 ft
Total Climb
152 ft
Total Descent
303 ft
Highest Point
906 ft
~27.7 mi in
Elevation Range
274 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 Belvidere, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Elmhurst Road North along the way.
Elmhurst Road North
51.5 mi in
|
~59m
About the Cities
Starting in Belvidere, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
Top landmarks
- • Pettit Memorial Chapel — historic building in Belvidere, Illinois
- • United States Post Office — government building in Belvidere, Illinois
- • Old Belvidere High School — high school in Belvidere, Illinois
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
Top landmarks
- • McDonald's #1 Store Museum — former McDonald's spot
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 1h 8m. Total distance: 55.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m 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 47.6 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $3.33 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams 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 Des Plaines, 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 3.5 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 51.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Des Plaines, 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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