Origin
Elgin, IL
Late night in Elgin on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elgin, IL to Lake Villa, 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
56m
Distance
36.5 mi
59 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Villa, IL
Lovedeep Singh
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Elgin to Lake Villa, expect a straightforward 36.5-mile journey through the Illinois Midwest. This trip typically takes about 56 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via North Hough Road, New Sutton Road, and North Rand Road. With a fuel budget of just $6, the route is highly economical for a quick regional transit. Because this is a short, manageable drive, you have the flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule without worrying about fatigue.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Hough Road | 6.4 mi | 10m |
| New Sutton Road | 5.3 mi | 8m |
| North Rand Road | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| US 12 | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| IL 59 | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 2.7 mi | 2m |
| West Grand Avenue | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Dundee Avenue | 1.7 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
North Hough Road
— 6.4 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elgin, IL and Lake Villa, IL.
1
Start on East Chicago Street
34 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Chicago Street
2
Turn left onto Center Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Center Street
3
Continue on Dundee Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Dundee Avenue
4
Turn right onto IL 25
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Page Avenue
5
Turn straight onto IL 25
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Liberty Street
6
Continue on IL 25
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Dundee Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West, I 90 Toll East: Rockford, Chicago
8
Continue on this road
486 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
Toward I 90 West, I 90 East: Rockford, Chicago
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 90 Toll East: Chicago
10
Merge onto I 90
2.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 59
Toward IL 59
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left onto IL 59
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
New Sutton Road
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on IL 59; IL 68
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Dundee Road
14
Continue on IL 59
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
New Sutton Road
15
Continue on South Hough Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Hough Street
16
Continue on IL 59
6.4 mi
·
10 min
·
North Hough Road
Use the right lane.
17
Take the ramp onto IL 59
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
IL 59
18
Merge onto US 12; IL 59
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
North Rand Road
19
Continue on US 12; IL 59
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
US 12; IL 59
Use the left lane.
20
Continue on US 12; IL 59
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
US 12; IL 59
21
Turn slight right onto IL 59
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
IL 59
22
Continue on IL 59
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Fox Lake Road
23
Turn right onto IL 132
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
West Grand Avenue
24
Turn sharp left onto IL 83
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
25
Turn right
64 ft
·
3 sec
26
Turn right
115 ft
·
5 sec
27
Arrive at destination
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 36.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.3 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 36.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Center Street
Turn left onto Center Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 90 Toll East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 90 Toll East: Chicago
7
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward IL 59
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 59
Toward IL 59
5
5.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
IL 59 / New Sutton Road
Turn left onto IL 59 / New Sutton Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
36.4 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
IL 83 / North Milwaukee Avenue
Turn sharp left onto IL 83 / North Milwaukee Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.71 one way
$11.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.27 | $12.53 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.02 | $14.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.06 | $16.12 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.19
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(2.7 mi)
$0.19
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$0
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 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 | 11 | 0 | $3.83 | $1.75 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.11 | $2.34 |
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
Lake Villa, IL
Late night in Lake Villa on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
2 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
56m 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?
This is a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Only 20% of the journey involves highway travel, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating local roads. You can expect a varied driving experience, with the longest uninterrupted stretch lasting 6.4 miles on North Hough Road. The road's personality is defined by its technical nature, requiring frequent adjustments behind the wheel as you transition between the various main thoroughfares.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 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?
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 early in the drive near Center Street.
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 13 decision points packed into just 36.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Elgin, IL to Lake Villa, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.
Chicago
2.2 mi in
|
~4m
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 56m. Total distance: 36.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m 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.
Expect about $0.19 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 Lake Villa, 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 (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Villa, 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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