Origin
Glendale Heights, IL
Morning in Glendale Heights on Tuesday
Local time
7:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glendale Heights, 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
17m
Distance
7.8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glendale Heights, IL
Choco Kitty
Elmhurst, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Glendale Heights to Elmhurst is 7.8 miles and takes about 17 minutes via North Avenue, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This very short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two communities in the Midwest. Expect a straightforward drive that's primarily on local roads, making it easy to navigate. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a simple connection between nearby towns, offering no significant travel time investment. It's a drive that requires minimal planning due to its minimal distance and duration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Avenue | 6.3 mi | 12m |
| Glen Ellyn Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Addison Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Winthrop Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Park Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cottage Hill Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Highland Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Avenue
— 6.3 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glendale Heights, IL and Elmhurst, IL.
1
Start on Highland Avenue
83 ft
·
10 sec
·
Highland Avenue
2
Turn left onto Winthrop Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Winthrop Avenue
3
At end of road, turn right onto Glen Ellyn Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Ellyn Road
4
Turn left onto IL 64
6.3 mi
·
12 min
·
North Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto North Addison Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Addison Avenue
6
Turn right onto Cottage Hill Avenue
230 ft
·
13 sec
·
Cottage Hill Avenue
7
Turn left onto West Park Avenue
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
West Park Avenue
8
Turn sharp left
65 ft
·
4 sec
9
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.8 — 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
|
Winthrop Avenue
Turn left onto Winthrop Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Glen Ellyn Road
At end of road, turn right onto Glen Ellyn Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
IL 64 / North Avenue
Turn left onto IL 64 / North Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
7.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
West Park Avenue
Turn left onto West Park Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
7.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Turn sharp left
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.22 one way
$2.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.34 | $2.68 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.50 | $3.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.72 | $3.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 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 | 2.3 | 0 | $0.82 | $0.37 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.68 | $0.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
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
7:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m 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 drive is characterized by frequent turns, offering a local and engaging experience rather than a high-speed transit. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire 7.8 miles. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 6.3 miles along North Avenue, providing a brief period of uninterrupted travel. The route utilizes North Avenue, Glen Ellyn Road, and North Addison Avenue, indicating a journey through residential and commercial areas. Be prepared for traffic signals and intersections, as this is a turn-heavy local drive.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.3 mi on North Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive near Winthrop Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Winthrop Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Glen Ellyn Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (IL 64 / North Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
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 17m. Total distance: 7.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.3 miles on North Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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.
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 (Winthrop Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Glen Ellyn Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (IL 64 / North Avenue): 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 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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