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Trip from Lockport, IL to Elgin, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 1m

Distance

43.9 mi

71 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 56m ★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 58m

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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city in Will County, Illinois, United States

Lockport, 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

Lockport, IL to Elgin, IL is 43.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 1 minute via Veterans Memorial Tollway and Lake Street, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward trip within the Midwest, connecting two Illinois communities. With no highway travel and a short duration, it's ideal for a quick errand or a leisurely day trip. You'll primarily be on surface roads, so expect typical suburban and local traffic patterns. It’s a simple, direct connection that doesn't require extensive planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Veterans Memorial Tollway 25.4 mi 30m
Lake Street 6.6 mi 11m
West Lake Street 5.2 mi 6m
Villa Street 2.5 mi 4m
West 9th Street 1.9 mi 3m
West 159th Street 0.8 mi 1m
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway 0.2 mi <1m
East Chicago Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Veterans Memorial Tollway — 25.4 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on IL 7

1.9 mi · 3 min · West 9th Street
2

Continue on IL 7

0.8 mi · 1 min · West 159th Street
3

Turn left

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto I 355

25 mi · 30 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 31 Toward US 20: Lake Street Use the slight right lane.
6

Turn left

113 ft · 4 sec
Use the left lane.
7

Turn straight onto US 20

5.8 mi · 10 min · Lake Street
Use the left lane.
8

Continue on US 20

0.8 mi · 1 min · Lake Street
9

Continue on US 20

5.2 mi · 6 min · West Lake Street
10

Continue on US 20

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
11

Turn slight left onto Villa Street

2.5 mi · 4 min · Villa Street
Toward Villa Street Use the slight left lane.
12

Turn left

311 ft · 28 sec
13

Turn left onto East Chicago Street

117 ft · 3 sec · East Chicago Street
14

Arrive at destination

East Chicago Street

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Glendale Heights, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Glendale Heights, IL

22 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

Belmont, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Glen Ellyn, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.9 miles from Lockport, 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 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 43.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
2.8 mi into trip | ~5m in

Turn left toward I 355 North: West Suburbs

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs
5
3.3 mi into trip | ~6m 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
28.7 mi into trip | ~36m 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
29.2 mi into trip | ~38m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
43.9 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in | East Chicago Street

Turn left onto East Chicago Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.70 one way

$13.39 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $7.38 $14.75
premium $4.81 $8.31 $16.61
diesel $5.40 $9.34 $18.68

Estimated Tolls: $1.78

Veterans Memorial Tollway (25.4 mi) $1.78

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$2

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.2 0 $4.61 $2.11
Efficient EV 11 0 $3.84 $1.76
EV Truck/SUV 17.6 0 $6.15 $2.81

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026

Origin

Lockport, IL

Late night in Lockport on Sunday

Local time

1:06 AM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Partly Cloudy then Patchy Fog

ENE 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Elgin, IL

Late night in Elgin on Sunday

Local time

1:06 AM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Partly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog

ENE 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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

1h 1m 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?

This route is entirely on surface roads, with no highway driving involved. You'll cover 43.9 miles in about 1 hour, with the longest continuous stretch on Veterans Memorial Tollway measuring 25.4 miles. Be prepared for frequent intersections and varying speed limits as you transition from the tollway to local streets like Lake Street and West Lake Street. This means you'll likely notice a consistent pattern of traffic lights and local activity throughout your drive.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.4 mi on Veterans Memorial Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 43.9 miles you will encounter 8 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Lockport, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1853

Top landmarks

  • • Lockport Historic District — historic district in Illinois, United States

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 1h 1m. Total distance: 43.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 25.4 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.78 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. 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.7 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 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.

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