Trip from Des Plaines, IL to East Dundee, 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

32m

Distance

22.6 mi

36 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min

4 AM

0h 29m ★

6 AM

0h 32m

8 AM

0h 38m

10 AM

0h 34m

12 PM

0h 33m

3 PM

0h 34m

5 PM

0h 37m

8 PM

0h 30m

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

East Dundee, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Des Plaines, IL to East Dundee, IL is 22.6 miles and takes about 32 minutes via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points in Illinois. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on surface roads with a brief stretch on a tollway, making it ideal for a short excursion or an easy commute between these suburban areas. You won't need to plan for an overnight stay, as the entire route is easily manageable within a few hours.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway	12.9 mi	13m
West Higgins Road	4.6 mi	6m
East Oakton Street	1.4 mi	2m
West Oakton Street	1 mi	1m
East Algonquin Road	0.5 mi	1m
Lee Street	0.5 mi	<1m
New Sutton Road	0.4 mi	<1m
South Elmhurst Road	0.2 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Jane Addams Memorial Tollway — 12.9 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

Start on Henry Avenue

262 ft · 16 sec · Henry Avenue

Turn left onto White Street

0.1 mi · 32 sec · White Street

At end of road, turn right onto East Algonquin Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Algonquin Road

Turn left onto US 12; US 45

0.5 mi · 51 sec · Lee Street

Turn right onto East Oakton Street

1.4 mi · 2 min · East Oakton Street

Continue on West Oakton Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · West Oakton Street

Turn left onto South Elmhurst Road

0.2 mi · 26 sec · South Elmhurst Road

Use the left / uturn lanes.

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min

Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford Use the right lane.

Merge onto I 90

13 mi · 13 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 49 sec

Exit 59 Toward IL 59 Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn right onto IL 59

0.4 mi · 40 sec · New Sutton Road

Use the straight / right lanes.

Turn left onto IL 72

4.6 mi · 6 min · West Higgins Road

Use the left lane.

Turn right

45 ft · 3 sec

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 17.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | East Algonquin Road

At end of road, turn right onto East Algonquin Road

Navigation decision point

3.8 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the ramp toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford

4.4 mi into trip | ~9m in | I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

Merge onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

17.3 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward IL 59

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 59 Toward IL 59

17.7 mi into trip | ~24m in | IL 59 / New Sutton Road

Turn right onto IL 59 / New Sutton Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.53 one way

$7.07 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$3.88	$7.76
premium	$4.89	$4.35	$8.70
diesel	$5.61	$4.99	$9.98

Estimated Tolls: $0.90

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (12.9 mi) $0.90

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

Tolls

Total

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	6.8	$2.37	$1.08
Efficient EV	5.7	$1.98	$0.90
EV Truck/SUV	9	$3.16	$1.45

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 19, 2026

Origin

Des Plaines, IL

Morning in Des Plaines on Tuesday

Local time

6:01 AM

CDT

Current temp

48°F

Patchy Frost then Chance Rain Showers

W 5 to 15 mph 38% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 7:49AM CDT until April 20 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 5:01AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

East Dundee, IL

Morning in East Dundee on Tuesday

Local time

6:01 AM

CDT

Current temp

45°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

32m 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?

This route involves a minimal highway share, with most of your driving on surface roads. You'll encounter a 12.9-mile stretch on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, which means you'll experience highway speeds for a significant portion before transitioning. Expect a predominantly surface road experience, likely with more frequent intersections and local traffic as you approach East Dundee.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.

14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 12.9 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near East Algonquin Road.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 22.6 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.2 miles (East Algonquin Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 East Dundee, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1871

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 32m. Total distance: 22.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m 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 12.9 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.90 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams 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 1 rest area or service plaza 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 East Dundee, 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.

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 East Dundee, 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 options from Des Plaines, IL or browse trips ending in East Dundee, IL.

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Trip from Des Plaines, IL to East Dundee, IL

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Des Plaines, IL

East Dundee, IL

Same local time

3 degrees cooler at arrival

32m on the road

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

About the Cities

Starting in Des Plaines, IL

Arriving in East Dundee, IL

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

How do I pay the tolls on this route?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

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