Des Plaines to Orland Hills is 35.8 miles and takes about 55 minutes via Tri-State Tollway and La Grange Road, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a short, straightforward trip that primarily uses surface roads, making it a practical option for a quick commute or a brief excursion. You won't need to worry about extensive planning for this one.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Tri-State Tollway
17.5 mi
22m
La Grange Road
12.3 mi
21m
South Des Plaines River Road
1.8 mi
3m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
1.5 mi
2m
West 167th Street
0.5 mi
1m
92nd Avenue
0.1 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 Orland Hills, 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 23Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago, Joliet Road
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·53 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
10
Merge onto I 55
1.5 mi·2 min·Adlai Stevenson Expressway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Exit 279AToward US 12 South, US 20 South, US 45 South: La Grange RoadUse the right lane.
12
Merge onto US 12; US 20; US 45
12 mi·21 min·La Grange Road
Use the straight / slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto West 167th Street
0.5 mi·1 min·West 167th Street
14
Turn right onto 92nd Avenue
0.1 mi·25 sec·92nd Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
92nd Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 17.9 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 22.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|South Des Plaines River Road
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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.
6
19.8 mi into trip|~26m in
Take the exit toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 23
Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
6
20.5 mi into trip|~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 55 North: Chicago, Joliet Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 55 North: Chicago, Joliet Road
8
22.6 mi into trip|~31m in
Take the exit toward US 12 South, US 20 South, US 45 South: La Grange Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 279A
Toward US 12 South, US 20 South, US 45 South: L...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.55 one way
$11.10 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$6.09
$12.17
premium
$4.93
$6.95
$13.89
diesel
$5.60
$7.89
$15.78
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
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
10.7
0
$3.76
$1.72
Efficient EV
9
0
$3.13
$1.43
EV Truck/SUV
14.3
0
$5.01
$2.29
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Aug 31, 2026
Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Late night
in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
12:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 10 mph38% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Destination
Orland Hills, IL
Late night
in Orland Hills on Sunday
Local time
12:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Mostly Cloudy
SSW 10 mph58% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
65°F
Elmhurst, IL
18 mi in
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
1 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
55m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with about 36% on highways. You'll spend the longest stretch, 17.5 miles, on the Tri-State Tollway before transitioning to La Grange Road and South Des Plaines River Road. Expect urban merging and dense exits as you navigate through the Chicagoland area, especially on the tollway portion.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 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?
9/10
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 0.1 miles in near South Des Plaines River Road.
Driving Effort9/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 35.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
738 ft600 ft
Total Climb
334 ft
Total Descent
261 ft
Highest Point
738 ft
~25.6 mi in
Elevation Range
138 ft
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 Orland Hills, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St. Louis along the way.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m 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 Orland Hills, 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 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Orland Hills, IL before heading back.
