Origin
Melrose Park, IL
Late night in Melrose Park on Sunday
Local time
2:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Melrose Park, IL to Waukegan, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
37.8 mi
61 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Melrose Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 37.8-mile trip from Melrose Park, IL, to Waukegan, IL, is a straightforward, single-day drive that should take about 54 minutes to complete. Your journey primarily follows the Tri-State Tollway and local roads like North 25th Avenue and Belvidere Road, offering a quick connection within the Midwest region. With an estimated fuel cost of just $6, this route is very budget-friendly. Given its short duration and minimal stops, it's an easy day trip with no need for an overnight stay, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 28 mi | 33m |
| North 25th Avenue | 3.9 mi | 8m |
| 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 |
| Division Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Irving Park Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 28 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melrose Park, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on Division Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Division Street
2
Turn right onto North 25th Avenue
3.9 mi
·
8 min
·
North 25th Avenue
3
Turn left onto IL 19
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Irving Park Road
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
5
Merge onto I 294
28 mi
·
33 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 11A
Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto IL 120
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Belvidere Road
8
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
9
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
11
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 37.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.9 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 36.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North 25th Avenue
Turn right onto North 25th Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
4.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
IL 19 / Irving Park Road
Turn left onto IL 19 / Irving Park Road
Navigation decision point
5
5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
33 mi into trip
|
~45m 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
5
36.9 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.91 one way
$11.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.49 | $12.98 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.27 | $14.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.35 | $16.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.68
Tri-state Tollway
(28 mi)
$1.68
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$2
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.97 | $1.81 |
| Efficient EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.31 | $1.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.29 | $2.42 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Sunday
Local time
2:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
9 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
54m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 for this 37.8-mile route. While the Tri-State Tollway accounts for a significant longest stretch of 28 miles, the overall profile is dominated by local roads, meaning you'll encounter more frequent turns and traffic signals. With a 0% highway share, this isn't an interstate cruise but rather a more engaged driving experience. The character of the road will shift between the faster tollway and more neighborhood-oriented streets, requiring your attention throughout the 54-minute journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near North 25th Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 54m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North 25th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles (IL 19 / Irving Park Road): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 54m. Total distance: 37.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.68 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. 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): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles (IL 19 / Irving Park Road): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (I 294 / Tri-State 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 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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