Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Late night in Des Plaines on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to West Chicago, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
25.4 mi
41 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
West Chicago, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Des Plaines to West Chicago is 25.4 miles and takes about 46 minutes via I 355 and West Geneva Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short Midwest trip stays within Illinois, offering a straightforward drive. It's ideal for a quick errand or connecting two points without a significant time commitment. You'll primarily be on surface roads with a brief highway stint, making it an easy and accessible route for most drivers.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 355 | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| West Geneva Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| North Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| East Oakton Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| I 290 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| South Arlington Heights Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Oakton Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Biesterfield Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 355
— 4.6 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and West Chicago, 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
Continue on IL 83
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Oakton Street
8
Continue on IL 72; IL 83
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Oakton Street
9
Continue on Oakton Street
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Oakton Street
10
At end of road, turn left onto South Arlington Heights Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Arlington Heights Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto Biesterfield Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Biesterfield Road
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
Use the left lane.
13
Merge onto I 290
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
I 290
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 355
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
I 355
Exit 7
Toward I 355 South Tollway: Joliet
Use the slight left lane.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 27
Toward IL 64: North Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto IL 64
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Avenue
Use the left / uturn lanes.
17
Turn left onto South Schmale Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South Schmale Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
18
Turn right onto West Geneva Road
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
West Geneva Road
19
Continue on East Washington Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Washington Street
20
Turn slight left onto Galena Street
489 ft
·
23 sec
·
Galena Street
21
Turn right
298 ft
·
21 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 15.7 — 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
6
7.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Biesterfield Road
Turn right onto Biesterfield Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Turn left toward I 290 East: Chicago
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
8
11.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 355
Keep slight left at fork onto I 355 toward I 355 South Tollway: Joliet
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 7
Toward I 355 South Tollway: Joliet
7
15.7 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward IL 64: North Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 27
Toward IL 64: North Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.97 one way
$7.94 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.36 | $8.72 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.89 | $9.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.61 | $11.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 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 | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.22 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.56 | $1.63 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
West Chicago, IL
Late night in West Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
46m 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?
About 25% of this drive is on highways like I 355, with the longest continuous stretch at 4.6 miles on I 355. The majority of your travel will be on surface roads, including West Geneva Road and North Avenue. Expect to encounter more frequent intersections and traffic signals once you leave the interstate portion of the route.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.6 mi on I 355.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.2 miles in near East Algonquin Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 25.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (East Algonquin Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.7 miles (Biesterfield Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles: 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 46m. Total distance: 25.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.6 miles on I 355. 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 West Chicago, 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 7.7 miles (Biesterfield Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West Chicago, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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