Origin
Buffalo Grove, IL
Morning in Buffalo Grove on Sunday
Local time
9:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buffalo Grove, IL to Naperville, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
33.8 mi
54 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo Grove, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 33.8-mile drive from Buffalo Grove, IL, to Naperville, IL, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 50 minutes. Primarily utilizing I-355 and IL-53, with a portion on East Ogden Avenue, this route is a highway-focused journey through the Midwest. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, it's an economical option for a quick trip. The short distance and efficient roadways make it ideal for a day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule without the need for an overnight stay. You'll find this drive to be a practical way to connect two Illinois communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 355 | 12.8 mi | 16m |
| IL 53 | 10.2 mi | 13m |
| East Ogden Avenue | 5 mi | 10m |
| South Buffalo Grove Road | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Palatine Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| North Arlington Heights Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Hintz Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Aptakisic Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 355
— 12.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo Grove, IL and Naperville, IL.
1
Start on Aptakisic Road
60 ft
·
4 sec
·
Aptakisic Road
2
Turn left onto South Buffalo Grove Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
South Buffalo Grove Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto East Hintz Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Hintz Road
4
Turn left onto North Arlington Heights Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Arlington Heights Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto Palatine Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Palatine Road
Use the right lane.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward IL 53 South
7
Merge onto IL 53
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
IL 53
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 355
13 mi
·
16 min
·
I 355
Exit 7
Toward I 355 South Tollway: Joliet
Use the slight left lane.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 19
Toward US 34: Ogden Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right
154 ft
·
5 sec
Toward Lisle
Use the right lane.
12
Turn straight onto US 34
5.0 mi
·
10 min
·
East Ogden Avenue
13
Turn right onto North Washington Street
50 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Washington Street
14
Arrive at destination
North Washington Street
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 33.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.9 miles from Buffalo Grove, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 28.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
North Arlington Heights Road
Turn left onto North Arlington Heights Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
8.5 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53 toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
8
15.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 355
Keep slight left at fork onto I 355 toward I 355 South Tollway: Joliet
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 7
Toward I 355 South Tollway: Joliet
7
28.4 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward US 34: Ogden Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19
Toward US 34: Ogden Avenue
6
28.8 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Turn right toward Lisle
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Lisle
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.28 one way
$10.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.80 | $11.60 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.50 | $13.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.46 | $14.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
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
Naperville, IL
Morning in Naperville on Sunday
Local time
9:20 AM
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
15 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
50m 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?
Expect a highway-dominated experience on this 33.8-mile route, with 68% of the drive on interstates and major roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 12.8 miles on I-355, offering a consistent pace. While primarily a highway drive, segments on IL-53 and East Ogden Avenue will introduce more local traffic and varied speed limits. This isn't a route for scenic overlooks, but rather a functional path designed for efficient travel between Buffalo Grove and Naperville.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.8 mi on I 355.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 355 and IL 53. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in near North Arlington Heights Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 33.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles (North Arlington Heights Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.5 miles (I 355): 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 Buffalo Grove, IL to Naperville, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Lisle along the way.
Lisle
28.8 mi in
|
~40m
About the Cities
Starting in Buffalo Grove, IL
Full guide →Founded 1958
Buffalo Grove is a village in Chicagoland, in both Lake and Cook counties, around 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
Arriving in Naperville, IL
Full guide →Naperville is a bedroom community in the Chicagoland area. In 2008, Money magazine ranked Naperville third on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
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 50m. Total distance: 33.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.8 miles on I 355. 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 Naperville, 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 2.8 miles (North Arlington Heights Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.5 miles (I 355): 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 Naperville, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Naperville, IL
More trips to Naperville, IL
Explore more options from Buffalo Grove, IL or browse trips ending in Naperville, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.