Origin
Chicago, IL
Late night in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
5:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to North Aurora, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
40.5 mi
65 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
North Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 40.5-mile drive from Chicago to North Aurora, Illinois, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 56 minutes. You'll primarily navigate via the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway and the Eisenhower Expressway, with a small portion on South Ashland Avenue. Given its short duration and modest $6 estimated fuel cost, this route is ideal for a quick journey within the Midwest region. It offers a practical way to travel between two points in Illinois without requiring an overnight stay, making it a convenient option for local travel or a quick errand.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 23.9 mi | 29m |
| Eisenhower Expressway | 12.1 mi | 16m |
| South Ashland Avenue | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West State Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 23.9 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and North Aurora, IL.
1
Start on this road
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn left onto West Cermak Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Cermak Road
3
Turn right onto South Ashland Avenue
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Ashland Avenue
4
Turn left onto West Van Buren Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Van Buren Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 290 West
6
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 15A
Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana
Use the slight left lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110
22 mi
·
26 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138
Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
Use the slight right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto IL 31; IL 56
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South Lincolnway Street
11
Turn left onto West State Street
68 ft
·
3 sec
·
West State Street
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Chicago, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 40.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
West Van Buren Street
Turn left onto West Van Buren Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
15 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 15A
Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora...
8
16.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 138
Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
8
39 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Take the exit toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
6
40.5 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
West State Street
Turn left onto West State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.33 one way
$12.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.95 | $13.90 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.79 | $15.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.94 | $17.88 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(23.9 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
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
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.
Destination
North Aurora, IL
Late night in North Aurora on Tuesday
Local time
5:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 10 to 15 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 20 at 4:39PM CDT until April 29 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 20 at 4:38PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
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
16 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
56m 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?
Expect a mixed drive with about 30% of the journey on highways. The bulk of your travel will be on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, featuring a significant uninterrupted stretch of 23.9 miles. This means you'll experience periods of consistent, faster-paced driving typical of toll roads. As you transition off the main expressways onto South Ashland Avenue, the character of the drive will shift to a more local, potentially slower pace. This blend of efficient highway travel and surface street navigation defines the overall feel of the route.
30% 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: 23.9 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in near West Van Buren Street.
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 10 decision points packed into just 40.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): 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.
Between Chicago, IL and North Aurora, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).
Indiana
15 mi in
|
~23m
|
via I 88; IL 110
22Nd Street (Cermak Road)
16.9 mi in
|
~26m
|
via I 88; IL 110
About the Cities
Starting in Chicago, IL
Full guide →Chicago is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Here, the age of railroads found its center, and airplanes followed suit. "Stormy, Husky, Brawling / City of Big Shoulders," Chicago is a Heartland boomtown, its ethos defined by urban planner Daniel Burnham's immortal vision: "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." It is one of the world's great cities and the third largest city in the United States, behind only New York City and Los Angeles. As the hub of the Midwest, Chicago is easy to find — its picturesque skyline calls across the waters of Lake Michigan, a first impression that soon reveals world-class museums of art and science, miles of sandy beaches, huge parks and public art, and perhaps the finest downtown collection of modern architecture in the world.
Top landmarks
- • Willis Tower — skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois
- • Art Institute of Chicago — art museum and school in Chicago, United States
- • Wrigley Field — baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, USA; home venue of the Chicago Cubs
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 56m. Total distance: 40.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.9 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.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 North Aurora, 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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.9 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 North Aurora, 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 North Aurora, IL
More trips to North Aurora, IL
Explore more options from Chicago, IL or browse trips ending in North Aurora, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.