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Trip from Elk Grove, IL to Island Lake, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

40m

Distance

27.8 mi

45 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m

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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Downtown Elk Grove, IL, IL

Elk Grove, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Island Lake, IL, IL

Island Lake, IL

Lorenzo Manera

Trip Overview

Elk Grove, IL to Island Lake, IL is 27.8 miles and takes about 40 minutes via North Rand Road and IL 53, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest and the state of Illinois, making it a convenient option for a quick excursion. Expect a local driving experience with a moderate amount of time on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Given the brief travel time and minimal cost, this route is ideal for a same-day outing, offering flexibility for departure and arrival.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Rand Road 10.2 mi 13m
IL 53 7.7 mi 10m
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 4.3 mi 4m
East State Road 1.7 mi 2m
South Elmhurst Road 0.9 mi 1m
Lake Cook Road 0.7 mi 1m
West Liberty Street 0.5 mi 1m
Greenleaf Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
Longest stretch: North Rand Road — 10.2 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elk Grove, IL and Island Lake, IL.

1

Start on South Elmhurst Road

231 ft · 12 sec · South Elmhurst Road
2

Continue on South Elmhurst Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Elmhurst Road
Use the left lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford Use the straight / slight left lanes.
4

Merge onto I 90

4.3 mi · 4 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
5

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 68 B-A Toward IL 53 North, IL 53 South, I 290 East: West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 68B Toward IL 53 North: Northwest Suburbs, Rolling Meadows Use the slight right lane.
7

Merge onto IL 53

7.7 mi · 10 min · IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on Lake Cook Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Lake Cook Road
Use the left lane.
9

Continue on US 12

10 mi · 13 min · North Rand Road
Use the right lane.
10

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 23 sec
Toward IL 176 Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn left onto IL 176

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Liberty Street
12

Continue on IL 176

1.7 mi · 2 min · East State Road
13

Turn right onto Greenleaf Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Greenleaf Avenue
14

Turn left onto Rose Avenue

205 ft · 9 sec · Rose Avenue
15

Arrive at destination

Rose Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 25 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.9 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
8
5.7 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit toward IL 53 North, IL 53 South, I 290 East: West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 68 B-A Toward IL 53 North, IL 53 South, I 290 East: We...
9
5.9 mi into trip | ~8m in

Keep slight right at fork toward IL 53 North: Northwest Suburbs, Rolling Meadows

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 68B Toward IL 53 North: Northwest Suburbs, Rolling...
5
6.4 mi into trip | ~9m in | IL 53

Merge onto IL 53

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
25 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward IL 176

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward IL 176

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.35 one way

$8.69 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.77 $9.54
premium $4.89 $5.35 $10.70
diesel $5.61 $6.14 $12.28

Estimated Tolls: $0.30

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (4.3 mi) $0.30

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$0

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.3 0 $2.92 $1.33
Efficient EV 7 0 $2.43 $1.11
EV Truck/SUV 11.1 0 $3.89 $1.78

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Elk Grove, IL

Morning in Elk Grove on Sunday

Local time

9:40 AM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 15 to 20 mph 100% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:59PM CDT until April 20 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:57PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Island Lake, IL

Morning in Island Lake on Sunday

Local time

9:40 AM

CDT

Current temp

70°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

26 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

40m 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 drive is characterized by frequent turns, blending local roads with some highway time. Approximately 28% of the journey involves highway driving, offering a chance to pick up speed. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.2 miles on North Rand Road. As you progress, you'll transition from more urban-feeling local streets to areas that may offer a slightly different local character, so be ready to adapt your driving style.

Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.2 mi on North Rand Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 0.9 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 27.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Elk Grove, IL and Island Lake, IL, road signs point toward Northwest Suburbs and Rolling Meadows.

Northwest Suburbs

5.7 mi in | ~7m

Rolling Meadows

5.9 mi in | ~8m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 27.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m 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 10.2 miles on North Rand Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.30 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 Island Lake, 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 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. 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 Island Lake, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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