Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
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
New City, IL
Brent Singleton
Des Plaines, IL to New City, IL is 24.9 miles and takes about 39 minutes via Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive that stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. Expect a mixed drive that's mostly highway, making it a quick option for a quick trip. It’s ideal for a day trip where you don’t need to worry about overnight stays or extensive planning.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Local) | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West 47th Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and New City, IL.
Start on Henry Avenue
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
Turn right onto Busse Highway
Turn straight onto West Touhy Avenue
Turn right onto US 14
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 94
Continue on I 90; I 94
Continue on I 90; I 94
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90; I 94
Take the exit
Turn straight onto South Wentworth Avenue
Turn right onto West 47th Street
Turn left onto South Racine Avenue
Turn right onto West 48th Street
Turn right onto South Elizabeth Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 24.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 94 East
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Local) toward I 90, I 94
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward 47th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto South Racine Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.89 one way
$7.79 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.27 | $8.55 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Morning in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
7:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Morning in New City on Sunday
Local time
7:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°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 drive is primarily a highway experience, with 60% of the journey on expressways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you’ll encounter is 8.1 miles on the Kennedy Expressway. While mostly fast-paced, the route incorporates North Caldwell Avenue, offering a slight change of pace from the constant highway speeds. Overall, it's a typical urban expressway drive.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near East Oakton Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 24.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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