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Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Willow Springs, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

35m

Distance

24.6 mi

40 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 32m ★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Des Plaines, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Illinois, United States of America

Willow Springs, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Willow Springs, IL covers 24.6 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, South Des Plaines River Road, Adlai Stevenson Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.5 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.81 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 17.5 mi 22m
South Des Plaines River Road 1.8 mi 3m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 1.5 mi 2m
La Grange Road 1.2 mi 1m
Archer Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Henry Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Hilton Street <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 Willow Springs, 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 23 Toward 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 279A Toward US 12 South, US 20 South, US 45 South: La Grange Road Use the right lane.
12

Merge onto US 12; US 20; US 45

1.2 mi · 1 min · La Grange Road
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward IL 171 South: Archer Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Turn straight onto IL 171

0.3 mi · 44 sec · Archer Avenue
15

Turn left onto Hilton Street

63 ft · 2 sec · Hilton Street
16

Arrive at destination

Hilton Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 18.6 and 24 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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...
6
24 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward IL 171 South: Archer Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward IL 171 South: Archer Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.81 one way

$7.63 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $4.18 $8.36
premium $4.93 $4.77 $9.55
diesel $5.60 $5.42 $10.85

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

$4

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.4 0 $2.58 $1.18
Efficient EV 6.2 0 $2.15 $0.98
EV Truck/SUV 9.8 0 $3.44 $1.57

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.

Forecast as of Aug 27, 2026

Origin

Des Plaines, IL

Night in Des Plaines on Saturday

Local time

10:17 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Mostly Clear

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 26 at 8:32PM CDT until August 29 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 26 at 8:32PM CDT until August 31 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Destination

Willow Springs, IL

Night in Willow Springs on Saturday

Local time

10:17 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Mostly Clear

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 26 at 8:32PM CDT until August 29 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 26 at 8:32PM CDT until August 31 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

35m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

24.6 mi in 35m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 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?

10/10

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 18.6 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 24.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: 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; at 20.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

722 ft 621 ft

Total Climb

117 ft

Total Descent

129 ft

Highest Point

722 ft

~12.3 mi in

Elevation Range

101 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 Willow Springs, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St. Louis along the way.

St. Louis

19.8 mi in | ~26m

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 Willow Springs, IL

Full guide →

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 35m. Total distance: 24.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

35m 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 Willow Springs, 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 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; at 20.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Willow Springs, 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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