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Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Deerfield, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

20m

Distance

13.3 mi

21 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Des Plaines, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Deerfield, IL, IL

Deerfield, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Deerfield, IL covers 13.3 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, South Des Plaines River Road, Deerfield Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.9 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.03 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 7.9 mi 9m
South Des Plaines River Road 1.5 mi 2m
Deerfield Road 1.3 mi 2m
East Golf Road 1.1 mi 1m
North Waukegan Road 0.3 mi <1m
Elder Lane 0.1 mi <1m
Henry Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 7.9 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Deerfield, IL.

1

Start on Henry Avenue

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Henry Avenue
2

Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · South Des Plaines River Road
3

Turn right onto IL 58

1.1 mi · 1 min · East Golf Road
Use the right lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward I 294 North Toll: Wisconsin Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Merge onto I 294

7.9 mi · 9 min · Tri-State Tollway
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Exit 24 Toward Deerfield Road Use the slight right lane.
7

Turn straight onto Deerfield Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · Deerfield Road
8

Turn left onto IL 43

0.3 mi · 29 sec · North Waukegan Road
9

Turn right onto Elder Lane

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Elder Lane
10

Turn left

112 ft · 8 sec
11

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Des Plaines River Road

Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road

Navigation decision point

6
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 58 / East Golf Road

Turn right onto IL 58 / East Golf Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
2.6 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the ramp toward I 294 North Toll: Wisconsin

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 294 North Toll: Wisconsin
7
11.2 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward Deerfield Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 24 Toward Deerfield Road
5
13.2 mi into trip | ~20m in | Elder Lane

Turn right onto Elder Lane

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.03 one way

$4.06 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $2.23 $4.47
premium $4.81 $2.52 $5.03
diesel $5.40 $2.83 $5.66

Estimated Tolls: $0.47

Tri-state Tollway (7.9 mi) $0.47

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Tolls

$0

Total

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4 0 $1.40 $0.64
Efficient EV 3.3 0 $1.16 $0.53
EV Truck/SUV 5.3 0 $1.86 $0.85

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 26, 2026

Origin

Des Plaines, IL

Morning in Des Plaines on Sunday

Local time

11:23 AM

CDT

Current temp

60°F

Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny

E 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:59AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:55AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Deerfield, IL

Morning in Deerfield on Sunday

Local time

11:23 AM

CDT

Current temp

55°F

Patchy Fog

E 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:59AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:55AM 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

5 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

20m 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?

13.3 mi in 20m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.9 mi on Tri-State Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Des Plaines River Road.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 13.3 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (IL 58 / East Golf Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

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

Arriving in Deerfield, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1903

Deerfield is a small town in Illinois.

Top landmarks

  • • Deerfield — railway station in 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 20m. Total distance: 13.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.9 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.47 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.

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 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (IL 58 / East Golf Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: 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 Deerfield, 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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