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Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Goodings Grove, 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

46m

Distance

31.4 mi

51 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 11 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m

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

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Des Plaines, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Goodings Grove, IL, IL

Goodings Grove, IL

Sam McCool

Trip Overview

Des Plaines to Goodings Grove is 31.4 miles and takes about 46 minutes via Tri-State Tollway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Illinois, moving through the Midwest region. Expect a local feel with plenty of turns, making it a straightforward, short trip. With only about an hour of driving time, this route is ideal for a quick transit between two points without a significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 17.5 mi 22m
Bell Road 3.9 mi 7m
Kingery Highway 2.2 mi 3m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 1.8 mi 2m
South Des Plaines River Road 1.8 mi 3m
Archer Avenue 1 mi 1m
IL 83 1 mi 1m
Henry Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 17.5 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Henry Avenue

0.1 mi · 25 sec · Henry Avenue
2

Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road

1.8 mi · 3 min · South Des Plaines River Road
Use the left lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Toward I 294 South: Indiana
4

Merge onto I 294

11 mi · 14 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 23 Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis Use the slight right lane.
9

Merge onto I 55

1.8 mi · 2 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
10

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.
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward IL 83 South: Kingery Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward IL 83 South: Kingery Road South Use the slight right lane.
13

Merge onto IL 83

200 ft · 3 sec · Kingery Highway
14

Continue on IL 83

2.1 mi · 2 min · Kingery Highway
15

Continue on IL 83

1.0 mi · 1 min · IL 83
16

Continue on IL 171; IL 83

1.0 mi · 1 min · Archer Avenue
17

Turn left onto Bell Road

3.9 mi · 7 min · Bell Road
18

Turn left onto CH 37

49 ft · 0 sec · West 143rd Street
19

Arrive at destination

CH 37

Where to Stop

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

village in Downers Grove, Lisle, and York Townships, DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Downers Grove, IL

16 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

Orland Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downers Grove, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.7 miles from Des Plaines, 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 18.6 and 23.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
18.6 mi into trip | ~25m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
20.5 mi into trip | ~28m in

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

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
22.7 mi into trip | ~31m 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
22.9 mi into trip | ~31m in

Keep slight left at fork toward IL 83 South: Kingery Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward IL 83 South: Kingery Road
8
23.1 mi into trip | ~32m in

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

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward IL 83 South: Kingery Road South

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.91 one way

$9.82 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.39 $10.78
premium $4.89 $6.04 $12.09
diesel $5.61 $6.93 $13.87

Estimated Tolls: $1.05

Tri-state Tollway (17.5 mi) $1.05

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$1

Total

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.4 0 $3.30 $1.51
Efficient EV 7.9 0 $2.75 $1.26
EV Truck/SUV 12.6 0 $4.40 $2.01

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Des Plaines, IL

Late night in Des Plaines on Tuesday

Local time

5:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Goodings Grove, IL

Late night in Goodings Grove on Tuesday

Local time

5:21 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

3 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

46m 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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' with a highway share of only 9%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.5 miles along the Tri-State Tollway. As you move off the tollway, be prepared for more frequent turns and changes in road conditions, typical of local road navigation. The drive offers a mix of efficient highway travel and more involved local road segments.

Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.5 mi on Tri-State Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 18.6 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 31.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 18.6 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.7 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 Des Plaines, IL to Goodings Grove, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St. Louis along the way.

St. Louis

19.8 mi in | ~26m

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 46m. Total distance: 31.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m 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 17.5 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.05 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 Goodings Grove, 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 18.6 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.7 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 Goodings Grove, 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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