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Trip from Elmhurst, IL to Zion, 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

1h 6m

Distance

46.2 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 1m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m

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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city in Illinois, United States

Elmhurst, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Lake County, Illinois, United States

Zion, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Elmhurst, IL to Zion, IL is 46.2 miles and takes about 1h 6m via Tri-State Tollway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, connecting two Midwest communities. With most of the drive on tollways, it's a straightforward connection that's easy to tackle. You'll find it's a practical option if you're looking for a quick way to get between these two points without much complication. Expect a relatively predictable travel time, making it ideal for a same-day excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 30.5 mi 37m
North Sheridan Road 4.3 mi 9m
Buckley Road 2.9 mi 4m
Sheridan Road 2.4 mi 2m
Melvin Amstutz Highway 2.3 mi 3m
East North Avenue 0.9 mi 2m
Bobby E. Thompson Expressway 0.8 mi <1m
North York Street 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 30.5 mi, about 37m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elmhurst, IL and Zion, 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

0.5 mi · 1 min · North York Street
Use the straight lane.
5

Turn right onto IL 64

0.9 mi · 2 min · East North Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Turn slight right onto US 20

0.2 mi · 35 sec · US 20
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin Use the right lane.
8

Merge onto I 294

30 mi · 37 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 13 Toward IL 137: Buckley Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn straight onto IL 137

2.9 mi · 4 min · Buckley Road
Use the left lane.
11

Turn left onto IL 137

0.8 mi · 59 sec · Bobby E. Thompson Expressway
Use the left / straight lanes.
12

Continue on IL 137

2.4 mi · 2 min · Sheridan Road
13

Continue on IL 137

2.3 mi · 3 min · Melvin Amstutz Highway
Use the left / right lanes.
14

Turn left onto IL 137

0.3 mi · 32 sec · West Greenwood Avenue
Use the left lane.
15

Turn right onto IL 137

4.3 mi · 9 min · North Sheridan Road
Use the right lane.
16

Turn left onto 27th Street

0.4 mi · 54 sec · 27th Street
17

Arrive at destination

27th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Waukegan, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waukegan, IL

23 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Park Ridge, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Deerfield, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.1 miles from Elmhurst, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 35.7 — 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

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.
7
1.7 mi into trip | ~4m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
7
32.5 mi into trip | ~43m in

Take the exit toward IL 137: Buckley Road

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 13 Toward IL 137: Buckley Road
6
35.7 mi into trip | ~48m in | IL 137 / Bobby E. Thompson Expressway

Turn left onto IL 137 / Bobby E. Thompson Expressway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.05 one way

$14.10 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $7.76 $15.53
premium $4.81 $8.74 $17.48
diesel $5.40 $9.83 $19.66

Estimated Tolls: $1.83

Tri-state Tollway (30.5 mi) $1.83

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$2

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.9 0 $4.85 $2.22
Efficient EV 11.6 0 $4.04 $1.85
EV Truck/SUV 18.5 0 $6.47 $2.96

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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

Elmhurst, IL

Late night in Elmhurst on Sunday

Local time

3:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

43°F

Partly Cloudy then 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

Zion, IL

Late night in Zion on Sunday

Local time

3:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

40°F

Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog

NE 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

3 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

1h 6m 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 features a significant portion on highways, with 2% of the drive on the Tri-State Tollway. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 30.5 miles along the Tri-State Tollway. After leaving the tollway, you'll transition to surface roads like North Sheridan Road and Buckley Road. This means you'll experience a shift from high-speed travel to more typical suburban and local road conditions, including navigating intersections and varying speed limits.

Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.5 mi on Tri-State Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 0.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.2 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North York Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Elmhurst, IL

Full guide →

Elmhurst is in Chicagoland.

Arriving in Zion, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1901

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 1h 6m. Total distance: 46.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 6m 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 30.5 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.83 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.

Yes — we found about 2 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 Zion, 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 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North York Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Zion, 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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