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Trip from Elgin, IL to Aux Sable, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 27m

Distance

49.5 mi

80 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 21m ★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois

Elgin, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Aux Sable, IL, IL

Aux Sable, IL

Rafał Nagrodzki

Trip Overview

This 49.5-mile drive from Elgin to Aux Sable, Illinois, is a manageable 1-hour and 27-minute journey, making it an ideal day trip. You'll navigate primarily local roads, with only a small portion on highways, so expect a leisurely pace. With an estimated fuel cost of around $8, this trip is quite economical. The route winds through the Midwest, staying within Illinois, and offers a straightforward transit between two points without requiring an overnight stay. It's a practical option for a short, focused excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ridge Road 16.2 mi 26m
North Kirk Road 5.5 mi 9m
North Farnsworth Avenue 3.9 mi 8m
South Kirk Road 3.6 mi 6m
Saint Charles Street 2.9 mi 5m
US 6 2.6 mi 3m
Hill Avenue 2.5 mi 4m
Dunham Road 2.5 mi 4m
Longest stretch: Ridge Road — 16.2 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elgin, IL and Aux Sable, IL.

1

Start on East Chicago Street

34 ft · 5 sec · East Chicago Street
2

Turn right onto Villa Street

0.9 mi · 1 min · Villa Street
3

Turn right onto IL 25

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Liberty Street
4

Turn right onto IL 25

328 ft · 14 sec · Bluff City Boulevard
5

Turn left onto IL 25

2.9 mi · 5 min · Saint Charles Street
6

Continue on CR 19

2.5 mi · 4 min · Dunham Road
Use the left lane.
7

Continue on CR 77

1.6 mi · 2 min · North Kirk Road
8

Continue on CR 77

3.6 mi · 6 min · South Kirk Road
Use the left lane.
9

Continue on CR 77

3.9 mi · 6 min · North Kirk Road
Use the left lane.
10

Continue on North Farnsworth Avenue

3.9 mi · 8 min · North Farnsworth Avenue
Use the left lane.
11

Turn slight right

147 ft · 5 sec
Use the right lane.
12

Turn slight right onto East New York Street

0.5 mi · 50 sec · East New York Street
Use the right lane.
13

Turn left onto North Ohio Street

0.1 mi · 19 sec · North Ohio Street
14

Turn left onto East Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 17 sec · East Galena Boulevard
15

Continue on Hill Avenue

2.5 mi · 4 min · Hill Avenue
Use the left lane.
16

Turn straight onto US 30

0.9 mi · 1 min · Lincoln Highway
17

Turn right onto Treasure Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · Treasure Drive
Use the right lane.
18

Turn left onto Harvey Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Harvey Road
Use the left lane.
19

Enter roundabout onto Harvey Road

178 ft · 3 sec · Harvey Road
20

Continue on Harvey Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · Harvey Road
21

Continue on Rance Road

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Rance Road
22

Turn right onto Stewart Road

2.0 mi · 2 min · Stewart Road
23

Continue on Ridge Road

16 mi · 26 min · Ridge Road
24

Turn right onto US 6

2.6 mi · 3 min · US 6
25

Turn left onto South Tabler Road

1.8 mi · 4 min · South Tabler Road
26

At end of road, turn right onto Cemetery Road

295 ft · 11 sec · Cemetery Road
27

Turn left

471 ft · 20 sec
28

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Aurora, IL

25 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

Geneva, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Aurora, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.7 miles from Elgin, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.7 — 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 | Villa Street

Turn right onto Villa Street

Navigation decision point

4
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 25 / Bluff City Boulevard

Turn right onto IL 25 / Bluff City Boulevard

Navigation decision point

4
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 25 / Saint Charles Street

Turn left onto IL 25 / Saint Charles Street

Navigation decision point

6
24.3 mi into trip | ~45m in | Treasure Drive

Turn right onto Treasure Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
24.7 mi into trip | ~46m in | Harvey Road

Turn left onto Harvey Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.74 one way

$15.48 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.50 $16.99
premium $4.89 $9.53 $19.05
diesel $5.61 $10.93 $21.86

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.9 0 $5.20 $2.38
Efficient EV 12.4 0 $4.33 $1.98
EV Truck/SUV 19.8 0 $6.93 $3.17

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Elgin, IL

Morning in Elgin on Tuesday

Local time

7:00 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Widespread Fog

ESE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 9:22PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 9:22PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Destination

Aux Sable, IL

Morning in Aux Sable on Tuesday

Local time

7:00 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

65°F

Aurora, IL

25 mi in

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

15 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

1h 27m 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?

The character of this drive is best described as turn-heavy and local. With only 5% of the route on highways, you'll spend most of your time on roads like Ridge Road, North Kirk Road, and North Farnsworth Avenue. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 16.2 miles on Ridge Road. This means you should anticipate frequent turns and a more intimate experience with the local landscape, rather than long, open highway stretches. It's a driving experience that keeps you engaged with your surroundings.

Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.2 mi on Ridge 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 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Villa 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 49.5 miles you will encounter 16 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 (Villa Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (IL 25 / Bluff City Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (IL 25 / Saint Charles Street): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Starting in Elgin, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1854

Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

Top landmarks

  • • Elgin Tower Building — building in Illinois, United States
  • • Elgin Downtown Commercial District

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 1h 27m. Total distance: 49.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 27m 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 16.2 miles on Ridge 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 Aux Sable, 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 (Villa Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (IL 25 / Bluff City Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (IL 25 / Saint Charles Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Aux Sable, 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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