Origin
Forest Park, IL
Morning in Forest Park on Tuesday
Local time
11:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forest Park, IL to Elmhurst, 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
14m
Distance
8.7 mi
14 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forest Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elmhurst, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Forest Park, IL to Elmhurst, IL is 8.7 miles and takes about 14 minutes via Eisenhower Expressway and I 290, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region and Illinois state lines, making it a convenient local trip. Given its brief duration, you'll likely find yourself on familiar territory without needing extensive planning. It's a straightforward connection between two nearby communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Expressway | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| I 290 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| East Saint Charles Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| South York Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Des Plaines Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Madison Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Park Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eisenhower Expressway
— 4.5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest Park, IL and Elmhurst, IL.
1
Start on Madison Street
44 ft
·
6 sec
·
Madison Street
2
Turn left onto Des Plaines Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Des Plaines Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 290 West: Eisenhower Expressway
4
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
I 290
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford, Milwaukee
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 14B
Toward Saint Charles Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 14A
Toward West Saint Charles Road
Use the right lane.
8
Turn straight onto East Saint Charles Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Saint Charles Road
9
Turn right onto South York Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South York Street
10
Turn left onto West Park Avenue
38 ft
·
3 sec
·
West Park Avenue
11
Turn slight right
65 ft
·
4 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 6.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Des Plaines Avenue
Turn left onto Des Plaines Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
5.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 290
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290 toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford, Milwaukee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford,...
7
6.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward Saint Charles Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 14B
Toward Saint Charles Road
8
6.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight right at fork toward West Saint Charles Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 14A
Toward West Saint Charles Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.36 one way
$2.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.49 | $2.99 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.67 | $3.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.91 | $0.42 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Elmhurst, IL
Morning in Elmhurst on Tuesday
Local time
11:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
11 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
14m 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?
This route is mostly highway, with 67% of the drive on major expressways. You'll spend about 4.5 miles on the Eisenhower Expressway before transitioning to surface streets like East Saint Charles Road. Expect a fairly continuous stretch of highway driving with a moderate number of exits before reaching your destination.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.5 mi on Eisenhower Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Eisenhower Expressway and I 290. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Des Plaines Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 8.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Des Plaines Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
712 ft
612 ft
Total Climb
147 ft
Total Descent
87 ft
Highest Point
712 ft
~6.2 mi in
Elevation Range
100 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Forest Park, IL to Elmhurst, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Milwaukee along the way.
Milwaukee
5.1 mi in
|
~8m
|
via I 290
About the Cities
Arriving in Elmhurst, IL
Full guide →Elmhurst is in Chicagoland.
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 14m. Total distance: 8.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.5 miles on Eisenhower Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Elmhurst, 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: near the start (Des Plaines Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles (I 290): 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 Elmhurst, 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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