Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Lemont, IL to Elgin, IL

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

55m

Distance

39.3 mi

63 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 51m ★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
historic village spanning Cook, DuPage and Will Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois

Lemont, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois

Elgin, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 39.3-mile drive from Lemont, IL to Elgin, IL is a straightforward one-day trip, taking about 55 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, including Veterans Memorial Tollway and Lake Street, with no highway driving. With an estimated fuel cost of $6, this is an economical option for a quick excursion within the Midwest. The route is designed for a single day, so you won't need to worry about overnight stays. It's a practical choice for a short, focused journey between these Illinois communities.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Veterans Memorial Tollway 21.4 mi 26m
Lake Street 6.6 mi 11m
West Lake Street 5.2 mi 6m
Villa Street 2.5 mi 4m
State Street 1.1 mi 1m
127th Street 0.9 mi 1m
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway 0.2 mi <1m
East Illinois Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Veterans Memorial Tollway — 21.4 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lemont, IL and Elgin, IL.

1

Start on West New Avenue

481 ft · 14 sec · West New Avenue
2

Turn left onto Lockport Street

138 ft · 2 sec · Lockport Street
Use the left lane.
3

Turn slight left onto East Illinois Street

490 ft · 12 sec · East Illinois Street
4

Turn right onto State Street

1.1 mi · 1 min · State Street
5

Turn right onto 127th Street

0.9 mi · 1 min · 127th Street
Use the right lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 355 Toll North: West Suburbs
7

Merge onto I 355

21 mi · 26 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 31 Toward US 20: Lake Street Use the slight right lane.
9

Turn left

113 ft · 4 sec
Use the left lane.
10

Turn straight onto US 20

5.8 mi · 10 min · Lake Street
Use the left lane.
11

Continue on US 20

0.8 mi · 1 min · Lake Street
12

Continue on US 20

5.2 mi · 6 min · West Lake Street
13

Continue on US 20

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
14

Turn slight left onto Villa Street

2.5 mi · 4 min · Villa Street
Toward Villa Street Use the slight left lane.
15

Turn left

311 ft · 28 sec
16

Turn left onto East Chicago Street

117 ft · 3 sec · East Chicago Street
17

Arrive at destination

East Chicago Street

Where to Stop

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

suburb village of Chicago, located in DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bloomingdale, IL

20 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

South Elgin, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Glen Ellyn, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.6 miles from Lemont, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Lockport Street

Turn left onto Lockport Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | 127th Street

Turn right onto 127th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
2.7 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway

Merge onto I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
24.1 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward US 20: Lake Street

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 31 Toward US 20: Lake Street
5
24.6 mi into trip | ~32m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.14 one way

$12.29 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.75 $13.49
premium $4.89 $7.56 $15.13
diesel $5.61 $8.68 $17.35

Estimated Tolls: $1.49

Veterans Memorial Tollway (21.4 mi) $1.49

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$1

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89
Efficient EV 9.8 0 $3.44 $1.57
EV Truck/SUV 15.7 0 $5.50 $2.52

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 19, 2026

Origin

Lemont, IL

Morning in Lemont on Tuesday

Local time

8:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

34°F

Mostly Clear then Areas Of Frost

W 5 to 15 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 10:25PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 10:23PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Elgin, IL

Morning in Elgin on Tuesday

Local time

8:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

33°F

Mostly Clear then Areas Of Frost

W 5 to 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 10:25PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 10:23PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

63°F

Bloomingdale, IL

20 mi in

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

55m 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, as indicated by its 0% highway share. While the longest uninterrupted stretch is 21.4 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway, much of this trip involves navigating through various local streets. This means you'll experience a more connected, in-town feel for a significant portion of the journey, rather than long, open highway stretches. The road character will likely shift as you move between different suburban areas, requiring your attention to local traffic patterns and turns.

Only 0% 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: 21.4 mi on Veterans Memorial Tollway.

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 0.1 miles in near Lockport Street.

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 39.3 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 0.1 miles (Lockport Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (127th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

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 55m. Total distance: 39.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

55m 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 21.4 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.49 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Memorial 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 3 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 Elgin, 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 (Lockport Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (127th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Elgin, IL

Anna, IL 370.5 mi · 7h 1m Campton, IL 349.9 mi · 6h 52m Cambria, IL 347.5 mi · 6h 40m Beckemeyer, IL 304.1 mi · 5h 52m

More from Lemont, IL

Bremen, IL 326.6 mi · 6h 22m Springfield, IL 179.9 mi · 3h 22m Peoria, IL 145.2 mi · 2h 43m Champaign, IL 132.5 mi · 2h 31m Waukegan, IL 57.8 mi · 1h 18m Arlington Heights, IL 36.8 mi · 50m

More trips to Elgin, IL

Sleepy Hollow, IL 355.8 mi Johnston City, IL 339.3 mi Mount Vernon, IL 305.1 mi Millstadt, IL 297.8 mi Dupo, IL 296.6 mi Albion, IL 296.3 mi
Escape planner: Lemont, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Lemont, IL or browse trips ending in Elgin, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.