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Trip from Elk Grove, IL to Lake Zurich, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

27m

Distance

19.1 mi

31 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 8 min
4 AM
0h 25m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m

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

village in Lake County, Illinois, United States

Lake Zurich, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Elk Grove to Lake Zurich is 19.1 miles and takes about 27 minutes via IL 53 and North Rand Road, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Illinois, and offers a straightforward connection between two suburban areas. It's a quick hop that doesn't require extensive planning, making it ideal for a spontaneous outing or a simple commute. You'll find this route offers convenience if you're looking to get from point A to point B without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 53 7.7 mi 10m
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 4.3 mi 4m
North Rand Road 2.7 mi 3m
South Old Rand Road 1.5 mi 3m
South Elmhurst Road 0.9 mi 1m
Lake Cook Road 0.7 mi 1m
North Old Rand Road — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: IL 53 — 7.7 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

2.7 mi · 3 min · North Rand Road
Use the right lane.
10

Turn right onto South Old Rand Road

1.5 mi · 3 min · South Old Rand Road
Use the right lane.
11

Arrive at destination

North Old Rand Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 17.6 — 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.
5
17.6 mi into trip | ~24m in | South Old Rand Road

Turn right onto South Old Rand Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.91 one way

$5.83 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $3.21 $6.42
premium $4.81 $3.61 $7.23
diesel $5.40 $4.06 $8.13

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

$3

Tolls

$0

Total

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.7 0 $2.01 $0.92
Efficient EV 4.8 0 $1.67 $0.76
EV Truck/SUV 7.6 0 $2.67 $1.22

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 26, 2026

Origin

Elk Grove, IL

Late night in Elk Grove on Sunday

Local time

4:31 AM

CDT

Current temp

42°F

Areas Of Fog

ENE 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Lake Zurich, IL

Late night in Lake Zurich on Sunday

Local time

4:31 AM

CDT

Current temp

41°F

Areas Of Fog

E 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM 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

1 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

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?

About 40% of this 19.1-mile drive is on highways, with the longest stretch on IL 53 covering 7.7 miles. You'll experience a mix of highway cruising and surface roads, with the transition likely noticeable as you move between the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway and local streets. Expect dense exits as you navigate the suburban landscape, particularly around the highway segments.

40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.7 mi on IL 53.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 8 decision points packed into just 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.

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 Lake Zurich, IL, road signs point toward Northwest Suburbs and Rolling Meadows.

Northwest Suburbs

5.7 mi in | ~7m

Rolling Meadows

5.9 mi in | ~8m

About the Cities

Starting in Elk Grove, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1956

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 27m. Total distance: 19.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

27m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.7 miles on IL 53. 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.

Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Zurich, 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 Lake Zurich, 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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