Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
7:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to St. Charles, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
33.3 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
St. Charles, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Des Plaines to St. Charles covers 37.4 miles, making this a straightforward trek across the Illinois landscape. You can expect to spend about 49 minutes behind the wheel, provided traffic remains steady. Because this is a relatively short distance, you can easily complete the entire trip in a single day, leaving plenty of time to explore your destination. Budgeting approximately $6 for fuel is a safe estimate for the drive. Since both cities are located within the Midwest, the transition between these two points is seamless and familiar. This route serves as a practical, efficient connection between two distinct Illinois communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 16.5 mi | 17m |
| Stearns Road | 5.5 mi | 9m |
| Saint Charles Street | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| North Liberty Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Oakton Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Dundee Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Algonquin Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 16.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and St. Charles, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
262 ft
·
16 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn left onto White Street
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
White Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto East Algonquin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Algonquin Road
4
Turn left onto US 12; US 45
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Lee Street
5
Turn right onto East Oakton Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
6
Continue on West Oakton Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Oakton Street
7
Turn left onto South Elmhurst Road
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Elmhurst Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto I 90
16 mi
·
17 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
504 ft
·
12 sec
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
12
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
this road
13
Turn left onto IL 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Dundee Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
At end of road, turn left onto IL 25
460 ft
·
12 sec
·
Page Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn slight right
144 ft
·
6 sec
16
Turn straight onto IL 25
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
North Liberty Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn right onto IL 25
328 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bluff City Boulevard
18
Turn left onto IL 25
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Saint Charles Street
19
Turn right onto IL 25; CR 37
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Stearns Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Arrive at destination
IL 25
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.7 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 27.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Algonquin Road
At end of road, turn right onto East Algonquin Road
Navigation decision point
5
3.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
7
20.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward IL 25
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
6
22.4 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
IL 25 / Page Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto IL 25 / Page Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
27.8 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
IL 25; CR 37 / Stearns Road
Turn right onto IL 25; CR 37 / Stearns Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.21 one way
$10.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.72 | $11.43 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.41 | $12.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.35 | $14.70 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.15
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(16.5 mi)
$1.15
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: 11.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
| Efficient EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
St. Charles, IL
Morning in St. Charles on Sunday
Local time
7:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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
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
51m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate haul, as this route maintains a zero percent highway share. You will navigate via White Street, East Algonquin Road, and Lee Street, which keeps you off the major expressways for the duration of the trip. The road personality here is defined by frequent turns rather than long, uninterrupted stretches of pavement. Because you are primarily utilizing local roads, you will experience a more granular view of the region as you transition from Des Plaines to St. Charles. Stay alert behind the wheel, as the nature of these local streets requires more active navigation than a standard highway cruise.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.5 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
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 0.2 miles in near East Algonquin Road.
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 33.3 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 0.2 miles (East Algonquin Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
852 ft
632 ft
Total Climb
241 ft
Total Descent
144 ft
Highest Point
852 ft
~18.7 mi in
Elevation Range
220 ft
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
Arriving in St. Charles, IL
Full guide →Founded 1834
St. Charles is a city in the Fox River Valley.
Top landmarks
- • Hotel Baker — St. Charles, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)...
- • Arcada Theater — theater and movie theater in St. Charles, Illinois, United States
- • Andrew Weisel House — house in St. Charles, Illinois
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 51m. Total distance: 33.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m 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 16.5 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.15 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams Memorial 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 St. Charles, 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 0.2 miles (East Algonquin Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 St. Charles, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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