Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Niles, IL to Lake in the Hills, IL

Pin this trip

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

Drive Time

50m

Distance

37.6 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

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Niles, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Illinois, United States

Lake in the Hills, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Niles, IL to Lake in the Hills, IL is 37.6 miles and takes about 50m via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway and Randall Road, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short Midwest drive stays within Illinois, offering a straightforward trip between two suburban areas. With only one day recommended, this route is ideal for a quick excursion or a simple relocation. The estimated fuel cost is quite low, making it an economical option for getting from point A to point B without significant expense.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 24.7 mi 26m
Randall Road 6.5 mi 10m
West Touhy Avenue 2.8 mi 5m
South Dee Road 1 mi 2m
Devon Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
North Randall Road 0.4 mi <1m
North Waukegan Road 0.4 mi <1m
West Acorn Lane 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Jane Addams Memorial Tollway — 24.7 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Niles, IL and Lake in the Hills, IL.

1

Start on North Waukegan Road

0.4 mi · 44 sec · North Waukegan Road
2

Continue on North Milwaukee Avenue

507 ft · 17 sec · North Milwaukee Avenue
3

Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue

2.8 mi · 5 min · West Touhy Avenue
Use the right lane.
4

Turn left onto South Dee Road

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Dee Road
Use the left lane.
5

Turn right onto Devon Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · Devon Avenue
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 90 West Toll Use the right lane.
7

Merge onto I 90

25 mi · 26 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Exit 52 Toward Randall Road Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork

254 ft · 6 sec
Toward Crystal Lake, Gilberts, Airport Use the right lane.
10

Turn straight onto CR 34

6.5 mi · 10 min · Randall Road
Use the straight lane.
11

Continue on V29

0.4 mi · 45 sec · North Randall Road
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto West Acorn Lane

0.3 mi · 1 min · West Acorn Lane
Use the right lane.
13

Arrive at destination

West Acorn Lane

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Elk Grove, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Elk Grove, IL

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

Lakewood, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 37.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Arlington Heights, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.8 miles from Niles, 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 0.5 and 37.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | West Touhy Avenue

Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
4.3 mi into trip | ~8m in | Devon Avenue

Turn right onto Devon Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
30.1 mi into trip | ~37m in

Take the exit toward Randall Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 52 Toward Randall Road
8
30.4 mi into trip | ~37m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Crystal Lake, Gilberts, Airport

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward Crystal Lake, Gilberts, Airport
6
37.4 mi into trip | ~49m in | West Acorn Lane

Turn right onto West Acorn Lane

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.74 one way

$11.47 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $6.32 $12.64
premium $4.81 $7.11 $14.23
diesel $5.40 $8.00 $16.00

Estimated Tolls: $1.73

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (24.7 mi) $1.73

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

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.3 0 $3.95 $1.80
Efficient EV 9.4 0 $3.29 $1.50
EV Truck/SUV 15 0 $5.26 $2.41

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.

Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026

Origin

Niles, IL

Late night in Niles on Sunday

Local time

1:13 AM

CDT

Current temp

42°F

Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog

NE 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

Lake in the Hills, IL

Late night in Lake in the Hills on Sunday

Local time

1:13 AM

CDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

43°F

Elk Grove, IL

19 mi in

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

50m 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 trip is mostly surface roads, with just 0% highway driving. You'll experience a 24.7-mile stretch on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect to navigate through suburban and local traffic patterns for the majority of this route. The change from tollway to surface roads will likely involve a noticeable increase in intersections and traffic signals.

Only 0% 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: 24.7 mi on Jane Addams 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 0.5 miles in near West Touhy 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 9 decision points packed into just 37.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (Devon Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Niles, IL and Lake in the Hills, IL, road signs point toward Crystal Lake, Gilberts and Airport.

Crystal Lake

30.4 mi in | ~37m

Gilberts

30.4 mi in | ~37m

Airport

30.4 mi in | ~37m

About the Cities

Starting in Niles, IL

Full guide →

Niles is a city of 30,912 (2020) in Illinois.

Arriving in Lake in the Hills, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1952

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 50m. Total distance: 37.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

50m 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 24.7 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.73 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams 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 — we found about 3 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 Lake in the Hills, 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 0.5 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (Devon Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.1 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 Lake in the Hills, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Lake in the Hills, IL

North Peoria, IL 173.2 mi · 3h 24m

More from Niles, IL

Saint Rose, IL 300.7 mi · 5h 45m Hamel, IL 270.5 mi · 5h 5m Calumet City, IL 36.9 mi · 52m

More trips to Lake in the Hills, IL

Belleville, IL 296.5 mi
Escape planner: Niles, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Niles, IL or browse trips ending in Lake in the Hills, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.