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Trip from McKinley Park, 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 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 2m

Distance

43.6 mi

70 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great 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 57m ★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m

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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Downtown McKinley Park, IL, IL

McKinley Park, IL

Amicia Short

Downtown Waukegan, IL, IL

Waukegan, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

McKinley Park, IL to Waukegan, IL is 43.6 miles and takes about 1h 2m via Edens Expressway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a relatively short drive, mostly on well-traveled expressways, making it a straightforward commute or a quick hop for locals. You'll encounter a mix of highway and surface roads, so be prepared for varying traffic conditions as you approach your destination. Given the short distance, it's perfectly suited for a same-day excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Expressway 13.5 mi 17m
South Skokie Highway 8.2 mi 10m
Kennedy Expressway 6.5 mi 8m
Skokie Highway 3.8 mi 4m
Skokie Valley Road 3.4 mi 3m
South Damen Avenue 2.9 mi 5m
West Ogden Avenue 1.9 mi 3m
Belvidere Street 1.6 mi 3m
Longest stretch: Edens Expressway — 13.5 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between McKinley Park, IL and Waukegan, IL.

1

Start on this road

472 ft · 36 sec · this road
2

At end of road, turn right onto South Damen Avenue

2.9 mi · 5 min · South Damen Avenue
3

Turn right onto US 66 Hist

1.9 mi · 3 min · West Ogden Avenue
Use the left lane.
4

Turn left

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West Use the left lane.
5

Merge onto I 90; I 94

6.5 mi · 8 min · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on I 94

14 mi · 17 min · Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto US 41

3.8 mi · 4 min · Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on US 41

3.4 mi · 3 min · Skokie Valley Road
9

Continue on US 41

8.2 mi · 10 min · South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward IL 120 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn straight onto IL 120

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Belvidere Road
12

Continue on IL 120

1.6 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Street
13

Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
14

Turn left onto South Jackson Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Jackson Street
15

Arrive at destination

North Jackson Street

Where to Stop

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

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Niles, 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 Cragin, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Skokie, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from McKinley Park, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 42.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
4.8 mi into trip | ~10m in

Turn left toward I 90 West, I 94 West

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
5
5 mi into trip | ~10m in | I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway

Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
25 mi into trip | ~36m in | US 41 / Skokie Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 41 / Skokie Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
40.4 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward IL 120 East

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward IL 120 East
5
42.7 mi into trip | ~59m in | Glen Rock Avenue

Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.65 one way

$13.30 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $7.33 $14.65
premium $4.81 $8.25 $16.50
diesel $5.40 $9.27 $18.55

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 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 13.1 0 $4.58 $2.09
Efficient EV 10.9 0 $3.82 $1.74
EV Truck/SUV 17.4 0 $6.10 $2.79

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

McKinley Park, IL

Morning in McKinley Park on Sunday

Local time

6:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

42°F

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

Destination

Waukegan, IL

Morning in Waukegan on Sunday

Local time

6:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

40°F

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

2 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 2m 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?

About 46% of this drive is on highways like the Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 13.5 miles on the Edens Expressway before transitioning to surface roads, including South Skokie Highway. Expect to navigate urban merging and dense exits typical of expressway driving in the Chicago metropolitan area. The profile is a mix of highway and surface street driving.

46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Edens Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 4.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles (I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles (US 41 / Skokie Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Waukegan, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1859

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.

Top landmarks

  • • Waukegan Public Library — library
  • • Waukegan Building — office building in Waukegan, Illinois, United States
  • • Hotel Waukegan — historic hotel in Waukegan, Illinois, USA

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 2m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 7 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 4.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles (I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles (US 41 / Skokie Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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