Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
13.2 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Long Grove, IL
Ali Soheil
Des Plaines, IL to Long Grove, IL is 13.2 miles and takes about 23m via McHenry Road, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Illinois, moving you from one part of the Midwest to another. Expect a local feel for the entire journey, making it an easy and quick trip. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss or a long commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| McHenry Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| North Elmhurst Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| Rand Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| South Elmhurst Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Rand Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Old McHenry Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North State Route 53 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Long Grove, IL.
Start on Henry Avenue
Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road
Turn left onto US 12
Continue on US 12
Turn right onto IL 83
Continue on IL 83
Turn left onto IL 83
Turn left onto North State Route 53
Turn right onto V77
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 12.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto US 12 / Rand Road
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto IL 83 / McHenry Road
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto North State Route 53
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.06 one way
$4.13 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.27 | $4.53 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.91 | $5.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Des Plaines on Tuesday
Local time
5:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Destination
Late night in Long Grove on Tuesday
Local time
5:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is a turn-heavy local drive, with a highway share of 100%. You'll spend your time navigating local roads, primarily on McHenry Road, North Elmhurst Road, and Rand Road. The longest stretch without a turn is 3.7 miles on McHenry Road. The character remains consistent throughout, offering a typical suburban driving experience with frequent intersections and changes in direction.
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 0.1 miles in near South Des Plaines River Road.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (US 12 / Rand Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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
Founded 1956
Long Grove is a village in Chicagoland.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 13.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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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