Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
9:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Belmont Cragin, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
10.8 mi
17 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Belmont Cragin, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
Des Plaines to Belmont Cragin is 10.8 miles and takes about 21 minutes via South Northwest Highway, North Central Avenue, and Busse Highway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This brief trip stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. Expect a local, turn-heavy drive that's more about navigating neighborhoods than covering long distances. It's a straightforward option if you're looking to get from point A to point B without a lot of fuss, ideal for a quick errand or a short hop across town.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Northwest Highway | 4 mi | 7m |
| North Central Avenue | 3 mi | 6m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Diversey Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Northwest Highway
— 4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Belmont Cragin, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
3
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
Use the left lane.
5
Turn straight onto West Touhy Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Touhy Avenue
6
Turn slight right onto South Northwest Highway
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
South Northwest Highway
7
Turn right onto North Central Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
North Central Avenue
8
At end of road, turn left onto West Goodman Street
274 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Goodman Street
9
Turn right onto North Central Avenue
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
North Central Avenue
10
Turn right onto West Diversey Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Diversey Avenue
11
Turn right onto North Major Avenue
164 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Major Avenue
12
Turn right
4 ft
·
0 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 10.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Oakton Street
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Busse Highway
Turn right onto Busse Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
7.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
West Goodman Street
At end of road, turn left onto West Goodman Street
Navigation decision point
4
10.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
West Diversey Avenue
Turn right onto West Diversey Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
10.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.69 one way
$3.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.85 | $3.71 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.08 | $4.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.38 | $4.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Belmont Cragin, IL
Morning in Belmont Cragin on Sunday
Local time
9:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°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
3 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
21m 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 is a turn-heavy local drive with no highway miles, meaning you'll be navigating city streets for the entire 10.8-mile journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 4 miles on South Northwest Highway. The road personality is defined by frequent turns and traffic signals, characteristic of a busy urban or suburban environment. You'll likely experience a mix of residential and commercial areas as you make your way through the local network.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4 mi on South Northwest Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near East Oakton Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 21m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (Busse Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (West Goodman Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting 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 21m. Total distance: 10.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4 miles on South Northwest Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (Busse Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (West Goodman Street): Navigation decision point.
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 Belmont Cragin, 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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