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Trip from Elk Grove, IL to Palos Park, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

45m

Distance

29.2 mi

47 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 41m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m

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

Best Time
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Downtown Elk Grove, IL, IL

Elk Grove, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States of America

Palos Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Elk Grove, IL to Palos Park, IL covers 29.2 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, York Road, US 20 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.1 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.53 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 13.1 mi 17m
York Road 4.3 mi 7m
US 20 3 mi 4m
Southwest Highway 2.8 mi 4m
North York Street 1.3 mi 2m
Harlem Avenue 1.2 mi 1m
South Elmhurst Road 1 mi 1m
Mile-Long Bridge 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 13.1 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elk Grove, IL and Palos Park, IL.

1

Start on South Elmhurst Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · South Elmhurst Road
2

Continue on York Road

4.3 mi · 7 min · York Road
Use the left lane.
3

Continue on North York Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · North York Street
4

Turn right onto Lake Street

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Lake Street
5

Turn slight right

147 ft · 7 sec
Use the right lane.
6

Take the ramp onto US 20

3.0 mi · 4 min · US 20
Toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago Use the right lane.
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 15A Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 294

0.4 mi · 47 sec · Tri-State Tollway
Exit 15A Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

1.0 mi · 2 min · Tri-State Tollway
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
10

Merge onto I 294

137 ft · 1 sec · Tri-State Tollway
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

3.5 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on I 294

0.9 mi · 1 min · Mile-Long Bridge
14

Continue on I 294

3.4 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 17A Toward US 12 East, US 20 East: 95th Street, 76th Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 17 sec
Toward US 12, US 20 East: 95th Street Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17

Turn straight onto US 12; US 20

0.2 mi · 24 sec · West 95th Street
18

Turn slight right

0.4 mi · 1 min
19

Turn straight onto IL 43

1.2 mi · 1 min · Harlem Avenue
20

Turn right onto IL 7

2.8 mi · 4 min · Southwest Highway
Use the right lane.
21

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 29 sec
22

Turn slight right onto West 123rd Street

98 ft · 9 sec · West 123rd Street
23

Turn left onto South 86th Avenue

30 ft · 0 sec · South 86th Avenue
24

Arrive at destination

South 86th Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 6.8 and 24.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
6.8 mi into trip | ~12m in | US 20

Take the ramp onto US 20 toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago
8
9.8 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana

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 15A Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
6
10.5 mi into trip | ~18m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
8
24.2 mi into trip | ~35m in

Take the exit toward US 12 East, US 20 East: 95th Street, 76th Avenue

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 17A Toward US 12 East, US 20 East: 95th Street, 76t...
9
24.4 mi into trip | ~36m in

Keep slight right at fork toward US 12, US 20 East: 95th Street

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

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward US 12, US 20 East: 95th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.53 one way

$9.05 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $4.96 $9.93
premium $4.93 $5.67 $11.33
diesel $5.60 $6.44 $12.87

Estimated Tolls: $0.78

Tri-state Tollway (13.1 mi) $0.78

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.8 0 $3.07 $1.40
Efficient EV 7.3 0 $2.56 $1.17
EV Truck/SUV 11.7 0 $4.09 $1.87

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 Sep 1, 2026

Origin

Elk Grove, IL

Afternoon in Elk Grove on Monday

Local time

2:09 PM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Isolated Rain Showers

SW 5 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 9:30PM CDT until September 3 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 9:30PM CDT until September 3 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Destination

Palos Park, IL

Afternoon in Palos Park on Monday

Local time

2:09 PM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Isolated Rain Showers

SW 5 mph 21% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 9:30PM CDT until September 3 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 9:30PM CDT until September 3 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

45m 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?

29.2 mi in 45m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on Tri-State Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 6.8 miles in near US 20.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 29.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 6.8 miles (US 20): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

714 ft 605 ft

Total Climb

181 ft

Total Descent

160 ft

Highest Point

714 ft

~10.4 mi in

Elevation Range

108 ft

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 Elk Grove, IL to Palos Park, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Indiana along the way.

Indiana

9.8 mi in | ~16m

About the Cities

Starting in Elk Grove, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1956

Arriving in Palos Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

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 45m. Total distance: 29.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m 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 13.1 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.78 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state 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 Palos Park, 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 6.8 miles (US 20): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Palos Park, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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