Origin
Melrose Park, IL
Late night in Melrose Park on Sunday
Local time
2:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Melrose Park, IL to Aurora, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
31.7 mi
51 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Melrose Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 31.7-mile drive from Melrose Park, IL, to Aurora, IL, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 45 minutes, making it perfect for a day trip. You'll primarily use the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, North Lake Street, and North 25th Avenue. With a projected fuel cost of around $5, this route is quite budget-friendly. The journey is contained within the Midwest region, specifically within Illinois, offering a familiar landscape. Given its short duration and minimal stops suggested, this drive is best suited for those looking for a straightforward transit between two nearby locations without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 23.9 mi | 29m |
| North Lake Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| North 25th Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Eisenhower Expressway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Division Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Galena Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 23.9 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melrose Park, IL and Aurora, IL.
1
Start on Division Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Division Street
2
Turn left onto North 25th Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
North 25th Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto Congress Street
364 ft
·
10 sec
·
Congress Street
4
Continue on Harrison Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Harrison Street
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 290 West
6
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 15A
Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana
Use the slight left lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110
22 mi
·
26 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138
Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
Use the slight right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Use the right lane.
10
Turn right onto IL 31
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
11
Continue on IL 31
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Lake Street
12
Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
13
Arrive at destination
West Galena Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.8 miles from Melrose 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 28.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North 25th Avenue
Turn left onto North 25th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Congress Street
Turn right onto Congress Street
Navigation decision point
9
4.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 15A
Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora...
8
6.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 138
Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
8
28.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.44 | $10.88 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.10 | $12.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.00 | $14.00 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(23.9 mi)
$1.43
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Aurora, IL
Late night in Aurora on Sunday
Local time
2:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
W 15 to 20 mph
91% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:54AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:33AM 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
28 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
45m 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 that transitions to a more sustained highway experience. Approximately 6% of this route involves highway travel, with the longest continuous stretch being 23.9 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. While the initial and final segments might involve navigating more local roads with frequent turns, the bulk of your time will be spent on the tollway. This means you'll experience a mix of suburban and more open, faster-paced driving conditions as you progress towards Aurora.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.9 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.4 miles in near North 25th Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 31.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 25th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (Congress Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Melrose Park, IL and Aurora, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).
Indiana
4.5 mi in
|
~8m
|
via I 88; IL 110
22Nd Street (Cermak Road)
6.4 mi in
|
~11m
|
via I 88; IL 110
About the Cities
Arriving in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
Top landmarks
- • Aurora University — private university in Aurora, Illinois, U.S
- • Hotel Arthur — United States historic place
- • Graham Building — historic building in Aurora, 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 45m. Total distance: 31.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m 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 23.9 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.43 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan 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.
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 Aurora, 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 0.4 miles (North 25th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (Congress Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Aurora, 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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