Origin
East Dundee, IL
Late night in East Dundee on Tuesday
Local time
4:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from East Dundee, IL to Waukegan, 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
59m
Distance
36.2 mi
58 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
East Dundee, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from East Dundee to Waukegan, you are in for a quick 36.5-mile journey across the Illinois landscape. Clocking in at approximately one hour and one minute, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, meaning you will not need to worry about overnight accommodations. Budgeting about $6 for fuel is a safe bet for this drive. Because both ends of the trip are located within the Midwest, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the travel. This connection is straightforward and practical, ideal for travelers who prefer local roads over high-speed interstate travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Hough Road | 6.4 mi | 10m |
| Belvidere Road | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Penny Avenue | 5 mi | 7m |
| Ivanhoe Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| West Liberty Street | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| IL 176 | 2 mi | 2m |
| New Sutton Road | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
North Hough Road
— 6.4 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between East Dundee, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on this road
45 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto IL 72
261 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Main Street
3
Turn left onto IL 68
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Penny Avenue
4
Continue on IL 59; IL 68
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Dundee Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on IL 59
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
New Sutton Road
6
Continue on South Hough Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Hough Street
7
Continue on IL 59
6.4 mi
·
10 min
·
North Hough Road
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on Barrington Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Barrington Road
9
Turn right onto IL 176
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
West Liberty Street
10
Turn right onto IL 176
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
IL 176
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on IL 176
152 ft
·
3 sec
·
IL 176
12
Turn left onto Schank Avenue
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Schank Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on IL 83
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Ivanhoe Road
14
Continue on South Atkinson Road
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
South Atkinson Road
15
Turn right onto IL 120
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Belvidere Road
16
Continue on IL 120
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Belvidere Road
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
18
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
20
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.1 miles from East Dundee, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 72 / East Main Street
Turn left onto IL 72 / East Main Street
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 68 / Penny Avenue
Turn left onto IL 68 / Penny Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
19.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
IL 176
Turn right onto IL 176
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
21.8 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Schank Avenue
Turn left onto Schank Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
35.2 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.66 one way
$11.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.21 | $12.43 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.97 | $13.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.99 | $15.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.80 | $1.74 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.17 | $1.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.07 | $2.32 |
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.
Destination
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Tuesday
Local time
4:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
13 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
59m 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 driving experience rather than a monotonous highway grind. With zero percent of the travel occurring on major highways, you will spend the entire 36.5 miles navigating local streets. You will primarily traverse East Main Street, Penny Avenue, and Dundee Road, which require your full attention due to the frequent turns. Because there is no long-distance highway cruising, the pace remains steady and rhythmic. This route prioritizes surface roads, making the feel of the wheel-time more active and less about settling into a long-haul cruise control setting.
Only 5% 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: 6.4 mi on North Hough 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 72 / East Main 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 36.2 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (IL 72 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (IL 68 / Penny Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 19.9 miles (IL 176): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
913 ft
654 ft
Total Climb
183 ft
Total Descent
298 ft
Highest Point
913 ft
~5.2 mi in
Elevation Range
259 ft
About the Cities
Starting in East Dundee, IL
Full guide →Founded 1871
Arriving in Waukegan, IL
Full guide →Waukegan is in the Far North Suburbs of the Chicagoland region of Illinois. It sits on Lake Michigan, has a large harbor, and is the county seat of Lake County, 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 59m. Total distance: 36.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m 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 6.4 miles on North Hough 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 Waukegan, 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: near the start (IL 72 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (IL 68 / Penny Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 19.9 miles (IL 176): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waukegan, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Waukegan, IL
More from East Dundee, IL
More trips to Waukegan, IL
Explore more options from East Dundee, IL or browse trips ending in Waukegan, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.