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Trip from Elgin, IL to Prairie Grove, 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

36m

Distance

18.3 mi

30 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m

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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Download GPX
city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois

Elgin, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Prairie Grove, IL, IL

Prairie Grove, IL

Andrew Patrick Photo

Trip Overview

Elgin, IL to Prairie Grove, IL is 18.3 miles and takes about 36 minutes via IL 31, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically in Illinois. It's a straightforward drive that won't take up much of your day, making it a good option if you're looking for a brief excursion or a simple connector between two points. You'll spend less than an hour on the road, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination or easily fit it into a larger itinerary.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 31 8.8 mi 14m
North State Street 2.7 mi 5m
South 8th Street 1.7 mi 3m
Barreville Road 1.5 mi 4m
North Western Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
West State Road 1 mi 1m
North 8th Street 0.4 mi 1m
East Highland Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: IL 31 — 8.8 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elgin, IL and Prairie Grove, IL.

1

Start on East Chicago Street

34 ft · 8 sec · East Chicago Street
2

Turn left onto Center Street

329 ft · 12 sec · Center Street
3

Turn left onto East Highland Avenue

0.4 mi · 50 sec · East Highland Avenue
4

Turn right onto IL 31

2.7 mi · 5 min · North State Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Continue on IL 31

1.7 mi · 3 min · South 8th Street
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on North 8th Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · North 8th Street
Use the left lane.
7

Continue on South Western Avenue

0.3 mi · 48 sec · South Western Avenue
8

Continue on North Western Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Western Avenue
9

Continue on IL 31

8.8 mi · 14 min · IL 31
Use the left / straight lanes.
10

Turn right onto IL 176

1.0 mi · 1 min · West State Road
11

Turn left onto Barreville Road

1.5 mi · 4 min · Barreville Road
12

Arrive at destination

Barreville Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.8 — 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

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | East Highland Avenue

Turn left onto East Highland Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | IL 31 / North State Street

Turn right onto IL 31 / North State Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
3
15.8 mi into trip | ~29m in | IL 176 / West State Road

Turn right onto IL 176 / West State Road

Navigation decision point

3
16.8 mi into trip | ~31m in | Barreville Road

Turn left onto Barreville Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.86 one way

$5.72 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.14 $6.28
premium $4.89 $3.52 $7.04
diesel $5.61 $4.04 $8.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.5 0 $1.92 $0.88
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.60 $0.73
EV Truck/SUV 7.3 0 $2.56 $1.17

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Elgin, IL

Morning in Elgin on Tuesday

Local time

7:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

54°F

Widespread Frost then Sunny

SSE 0 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 5:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 5:00AM CDT until April 21 at 12:20AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Prairie Grove, IL

Morning in Prairie Grove on Tuesday

Local time

7:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

54°F

Widespread Frost then Sunny

S 0 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 5:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 5:00AM CDT until April 21 at 12:20AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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

36m 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?

This route is a mixed bag, with 48% of it on highways. You'll encounter an 8.8-mile stretch on IL 31, which represents the longest continuous segment of the drive. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface streets, so be prepared for varying speed limits and traffic patterns as you navigate through towns. The mix means you'll experience both quicker travel and more local road conditions.

48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on IL 31.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Center Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Highland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 31 / North State Street): Lane positioning matters here.

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

Arriving in Prairie Grove, 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 36m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (48%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on IL 31. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 0.1 miles (East Highland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 31 / North State Street): Lane positioning matters here.

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