Origin
Hampshire, IL
Late night in Hampshire on Tuesday
Local time
4:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hampshire, IL to Waukegan, 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
1h 23m
Distance
51.1 mi
82 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hampshire, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 51.1-mile drive from Hampshire to Waukegan, Illinois, is a straightforward, one-day trip that will take about 1 hour and 23 minutes. With a fuel cost estimated at $8, it's an economical option for a quick getaway within the Midwest. The route primarily utilizes local roads, making it a more engaging experience than a typical interstate journey. You'll find this drive best suited for a single day, offering a manageable distance and duration for a round trip or as a segment of a larger adventure. Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you actively navigating.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Higgins Road | 8.5 mi | 13m |
| North Hough Road | 6.4 mi | 10m |
| Belvidere Road | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Penny Avenue | 5 mi | 7m |
| East Oak Knoll Drive | 4 mi | 5m |
| Ivanhoe Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| West Liberty Street | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| IL 176 | 2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Higgins Road
— 8.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hampshire, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on West Jefferson Avenue
58 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Jefferson Avenue
2
Turn right onto South State Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South State Street
3
Turn left onto IL 72
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
East Oak Knoll Drive
4
Turn left onto US 20; IL 47; IL 72
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
US 20; IL 47; IL 72
5
Turn right onto IL 72
8.5 mi
·
13 min
·
Higgins Road
6
Continue on IL 72
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
West Main Street
7
Turn left onto IL 68
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Penny Avenue
8
Continue on IL 59; IL 68
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Dundee Road
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on IL 59
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
New Sutton Road
10
Continue on South Hough Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Hough Street
11
Continue on IL 59
6.4 mi
·
10 min
·
North Hough Road
Use the right lane.
12
Continue on Barrington Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Barrington Road
13
Turn right onto IL 176
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
West Liberty Street
14
Turn right onto IL 176
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
IL 176
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on IL 176
152 ft
·
3 sec
·
IL 176
16
Turn left onto Schank Avenue
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Schank Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on IL 83
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Ivanhoe Road
18
Continue on South Atkinson Road
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
South Atkinson Road
19
Turn right onto IL 120
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Belvidere Road
20
Continue on IL 120
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Belvidere Road
Use the left lane.
21
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
22
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
23
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
24
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.6 miles from Hampshire, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 50.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 72 / East Oak Knoll Drive
Turn left onto IL 72 / East Oak Knoll Drive
Navigation decision point
4
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 20; IL 47; IL 72
Turn left onto US 20; IL 47; IL 72
Navigation decision point
5
34.8 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
IL 176
Turn right onto IL 176
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
36.8 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
Schank Avenue
Turn left onto Schank Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
50.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.99 one way
$15.98 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.77 | $17.54 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.83 | $19.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.28 | $22.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.37 | $2.45 |
| Efficient EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.15 | $3.27 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Tuesday
Local time
4:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Mostly Cloudy
WNW 15 to 20 mph
9% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:50AM CDT until April 21 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:48AM CDT by NWS Chicago 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
14 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 23m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only a 5% highway share. The journey unfolds primarily on Higgins Road and North Hough Road, offering a consistent local road feel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.5 miles on Higgins Road, so be prepared for frequent turns and intersections. This isn't a high-speed interstate cruise; rather, it's a more engaged driving experience that requires your attention as you navigate through familiar Illinois landscapes.
Only 5% 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: 8.5 mi on Higgins Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near IL 72 / East Oak Knoll Drive.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.1 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.7 miles (IL 72 / East Oak Knoll Drive): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles (US 20; IL 47; IL 72): Navigation decision point; at 34.8 miles (IL 176): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
960 ft
654 ft
Total Climb
306 ft
Total Descent
550 ft
Highest Point
960 ft
~3.7 mi in
Elevation Range
306 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Waukegan, IL
Full guide →Waukegan is in the Far North Suburbs of the Chicagoland region of Illinois. It sits on Lake Michigan, has a large harbor, and is the county seat of Lake County, Illinois.
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 23m. Total distance: 51.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.5 miles on Higgins Road. 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 Waukegan, 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 0.7 miles (IL 72 / East Oak Knoll Drive): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles (US 20; IL 47; IL 72): Navigation decision point; at 34.8 miles (IL 176): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waukegan, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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