Origin
Elmhurst, IL
Morning in Elmhurst on Tuesday
Local time
7:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmhurst, IL to Elgin, 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
34m
Distance
21.3 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmhurst, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 21.3-mile drive from Elmhurst, IL to Elgin, IL is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 34 minutes to complete. Primarily following Lake Street, West Lake Street, and Villa Street, this route offers a straightforward local journey through the Midwest. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $3, it's an economical option for a quick trip. Since there are no designated stops and the longest stretch is just under 12.2 miles, you'll find this drive is more about navigating local roads than covering long distances. It's an ideal option if you're looking for a direct connection between these two Illinois communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Street | 12.2 mi | 20m |
| West Lake Street | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Villa Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| North York Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Park Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Chicago Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lake Street
— 12.2 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmhurst, IL and Elgin, IL.
1
Start on this road
267 ft
·
25 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
51 ft
·
9 sec
3
Turn left onto West Park Avenue
362 ft
·
17 sec
·
West Park Avenue
4
Turn left onto North York Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North York Street
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn left onto Lake Street
5.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on US 20
5.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
7
Continue on US 20
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
8
Continue on US 20
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
West Lake Street
9
Continue on US 20
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
10
Turn slight left onto Villa Street
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Villa Street
Toward Villa Street
Use the slight left lane.
11
Turn left
311 ft
·
28 sec
12
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
13
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 21.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Park Avenue
Turn left onto West Park Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North York Street
Turn left onto North York Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Lake Street
Turn left onto Lake Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
21.3 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
East Chicago Street
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.33 one way
$6.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.66 | $7.31 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.70 | $9.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
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.
Destination
Elgin, IL
Morning in Elgin on Tuesday
Local time
7:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°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
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
34m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 34-minute trip, as the highway share is 0%. The route is characterized by its frequent turns and navigation through established community roads. You'll experience a continuous flow of local traffic and city-like conditions for the entire 21.3 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.2 miles along Lake Street, offering a brief period of more consistent driving before transitioning back to more complex intersections and local road segments. This isn't a route for high-speed cruising, but rather for methodical navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.2 mi on Lake Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
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 34m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Park Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North York Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Elmhurst, IL
Full guide →Elmhurst is in Chicagoland.
Arriving 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 34m. Total distance: 21.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.2 miles on Lake Street. 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: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Park Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North York Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elgin, 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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