Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
9:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to South Lawndale, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
19.7 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
South Lawndale, IL
NIKOLAI FOMIN
Trip Overview
Des Plaines to South Lawndale is 19.7 miles and takes about 38 minutes via North Pulaski Road, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. Expect a local feel for most of the journey, with frequent turns guiding you through neighborhoods. It's a straightforward trip, ideal for a quick transit or when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss. Given its short duration, it's easily manageable as a same-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Pulaski Road | 7.7 mi | 15m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West 27th Street | 0.6 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
North Pulaski Road
— 7.7 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and South Lawndale, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
3
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
Use the left lane.
5
Turn straight onto West Touhy Avenue
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
6
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 94 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 94
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Kennedy Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 44A
Toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on Kennedy Irving Park Road
389 ft
·
16 sec
·
Kennedy Irving Park Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Turn slight left onto IL 19
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Irving Park Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Turn right onto North Pulaski Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Pulaski Road
14
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
170 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
15
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
5.5 mi
·
10 min
·
North Pulaski Road
16
Turn left onto West 27th Street
0.6 mi
·
3 min
·
West 27th Street
17
Turn left onto South Saint Louis Avenue
380 ft
·
26 sec
·
South Saint Louis Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
South Saint Louis Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 13.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Oakton Street
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 East
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge onto I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 44A
Toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
5
13.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
West Belden Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.08 one way
$6.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.38 | $6.76 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.79 | $7.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.35 | $8.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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.
Destination
South Lawndale, IL
Morning in South Lawndale on Sunday
Local time
9:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°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
17 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
38m 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,' meaning you'll be navigating a series of intersections and street changes rather than cruising on a highway. With only a 13% highway share, most of your time will be spent on surface streets. The longest continuous stretch you’ll encounter is 7.7 miles along North Pulaski Road, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before you resume making turns. This type of drive requires your full attention to traffic signals and road signs as you transition between different local thoroughfares like North Caldwell Avenue and West Touhy Avenue.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.7 mi on North Pulaski Road.
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 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near East Oakton Street.
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 19.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles (I 94 / Edens Expressway): 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
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 38m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m 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 7.7 miles on North Pulaski Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 South Lawndale, 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 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles (I 94 / Edens Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 South Lawndale, 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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