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Trip from Chicago Ridge, IL to Aurora, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

33 mi

53 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
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 6m
8 PM
0h 54m

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

Downtown Chicago Ridge, IL, IL

Chicago Ridge, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Aurora, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 33-mile drive from Chicago Ridge, IL, to Aurora, IL, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 56 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily via 75th Street and East New York Street, with a brief stint on the Tri-State Tollway. Given the short duration and modest fuel cost estimate of $5, this route is ideal for a quick, uncomplicated trip within the Midwest region. It’s a straightforward journey that won’t require an overnight stay, offering flexibility for your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
75th Street 13.5 mi 23m
East New York Street 6 mi 10m
Tri-State Tollway 5.2 mi 6m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 2.7 mi 3m
West 95th Street 1.3 mi 2m
South Ridgeland Avenue 1.3 mi 2m
Illinois Route 59 1.1 mi 2m
Kingery Highway 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: 75th Street — 13.5 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on South Ridgeland Avenue

1.3 mi · 2 min · South Ridgeland Avenue
Use the left lane.
2

Turn left onto US 12; US 20

1.3 mi · 2 min · West 95th Street
Use the left lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 58 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin Use the right lane.
4

Merge onto I 294

5.2 mi · 6 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

449 ft · 11 sec
Exit 23B Toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis Use the right lane.
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 55

2.7 mi · 3 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 274 Toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto IL 83

0.5 mi · 45 sec · Kingery Highway
Use the left lane.
11

Turn left onto 75th Street

13 mi · 23 min · 75th Street
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto IL 59

1.1 mi · 2 min · Illinois Route 59
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto East New York Street

6.0 mi · 10 min · East New York Street
Use the left lane.
14

Turn left onto IL 31

417 ft · 14 sec · North Lake Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
15

Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 9 sec · West Galena Boulevard
16

Arrive at destination

West Galena Boulevard

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bolingbrook, IL

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.

Popular next leg

Bolingbrook, IL to Aurora, IL

18.2 mi · 32m

Pacing Suggestions

North Aurora, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downers Grove, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.5 miles from Chicago Ridge, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 8.2 and 12.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
8.2 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Exit 23B Toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis
7
8.3 mi into trip | ~13m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 55 South: Saint Louis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
11.4 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 274 Toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road
8
11.5 mi into trip | ~18m in

Keep slight right at fork toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
6
12.3 mi into trip | ~19m in | 75th Street

Turn left onto 75th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.16 one way

$10.32 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.66 $11.33
premium $4.89 $6.35 $12.70
diesel $5.61 $7.29 $14.57

Estimated Tolls: $0.31

Tri-state Tollway (5.2 mi) $0.31

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$0

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.9 0 $3.47 $1.58
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.89 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.62 $2.11

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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Chicago Ridge, IL

Late night in Chicago Ridge on Tuesday

Local time

4:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Aurora, IL

Late night in Aurora on Tuesday

Local time

4:12 AM

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 warmer 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

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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only about 11% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.5 miles along 75th Street. This means you'll be navigating through towns and dealing with traffic signals and local intersections for a significant portion of your travel. The road character shifts between local streets and brief highway segments, requiring your attention to be on the road and navigation.

Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on 75th Street.

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 8.2 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 14 decision points packed into just 33 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 8.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Chicago Ridge, IL to Aurora, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Saint Louis along the way.

Saint Louis

8.2 mi in | ~13m

About the Cities

Arriving 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 56m. Total distance: 33 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.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on 75th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.31 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state 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 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 8.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 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.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Aurora, IL to Chicago Ridge, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

40.3 mi 56m

Explore more options from Chicago Ridge, IL or browse trips ending in Aurora, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.