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Trip from Lemont, IL to Waukegan, IL

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

Drive Time

1h 18m

Distance

57.8 mi

93 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 12m ★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m

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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historic village spanning Cook, DuPage and Will Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois

Lemont, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 57.8-mile trip from Lemont, IL to Waukegan, IL is a straightforward drive that can easily be accomplished in about 1 hour and 18 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion, with a modest fuel cost estimated at $9. You'll primarily navigate using the Tri-State Tollway and the Adlai Stevenson Expressway, interspersed with local roads like Lemont Road. Given that both your origin and destination are within the Midwest region, expect a familiar driving environment. This route offers a practical way to travel between these two Illinois communities without needing an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 41.8 mi 50m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 5.7 mi 7m
Lemont Road 2.7 mi 4m
Belvidere Road 1.9 mi 2m
Belvidere Street 1.6 mi 3m
South Jackson Street 0.5 mi 1m
Glen Rock Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
State Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 41.8 mi, about 50m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lemont, IL and Waukegan, 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 · 15 sec · East Illinois Street
4

Turn left onto State Street

0.2 mi · 22 sec · State Street
5

Continue on Lemont Road

2.7 mi · 4 min · Lemont Road
6

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
7

Merge onto I 55

5.7 mi · 7 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

1.6 mi · 3 min
Exit 277A Toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin Use the right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
10

Merge onto I 294

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

37 mi · 45 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 47 sec
Exit 11A Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn straight onto IL 120

1.9 mi · 2 min · Belvidere Road
14

Continue on IL 120

1.6 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Street
15

Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left onto South Jackson Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Jackson Street
17

Arrive at destination

North Jackson Street

Where to Stop

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

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Des Plaines, IL

29 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

Downers Grove, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Des Plaines, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.9 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 52.9 — 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
3.5 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway

Merge onto I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9.2 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin

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

Use the right lane. Exit 277A Toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin
6
15.9 mi into trip | ~23m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
52.9 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in

Take the exit toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 11A Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.04 one way

$18.07 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.92 $19.84
premium $4.89 $11.12 $22.25
diesel $5.61 $12.76 $25.52

Estimated Tolls: $2.51

Tri-state Tollway (41.8 mi) $2.51

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$3

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.3 0 $6.07 $2.77
Efficient EV 14.5 0 $5.06 $2.31
EV Truck/SUV 23.1 0 $8.09 $3.70

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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

8:12 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

Waukegan, IL

Morning in Waukegan on Tuesday

Local time

8:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°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

24 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

1h 18m 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 route with a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you'll encounter frequent changes in direction and road surfaces. While only 10% of the journey is on highways, you'll experience a significant uninterrupted stretch of 41.8 miles on the Tri-State Tollway. This mix suggests periods of faster travel on the tollway followed by more intricate navigation on local roads as you approach your destination. The character of the drive shifts from highway cruising to more engaged local maneuvering.

Only 10% 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: 41.8 mi on Tri-State Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 near Lockport Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.8 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 3.5 miles (I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 18m. Total distance: 57.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 18m 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 41.8 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.51 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 4 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 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 0.1 miles (Lockport Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles (I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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