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Trip from Niles, IL to Lawrence, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 27m

Distance

64.9 mi

105 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 21m ★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m

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

Best Time
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village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Niles, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Lawrence, IL, IL

Lawrence, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

Niles, IL to Lawrence, IL is 64.9 miles and takes about 1h 27m via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway and South State Street, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. Since it's primarily on surface roads, expect a more local feel than a pure interstate cruise. With a drive time under 1.5 hours, this is a straightforward route perfect for a quick day trip or a simple connection between two points.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 35.1 mi 37m
South State Street 10.6 mi 16m
East Grant Highway 8.4 mi 11m
West Touhy Avenue 2.8 mi 5m
Lawrence Road 1.8 mi 4m
West Brink Street 1.2 mi 1m
South Division Street 1.1 mi 1m
South Dee Road 1 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Jane Addams Memorial Tollway — 35.1 mi, about 37m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Niles, IL and Lawrence, 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

35 mi · 37 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 42 Toward US 20: Hampshire, Marengo Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

At end of road, turn left onto US 20

0.5 mi · 53 sec · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
10

Continue on US 20

0.7 mi · 55 sec · East Grant Highway
11

Enter roundabout onto US 20

90 ft · 1 sec · East Grant Highway
12

Continue on US 20

3.3 mi · 4 min · East Grant Highway
13

Enter roundabout onto US 20

198 ft · 3 sec · East Grant Highway
14

Continue on US 20

4.4 mi · 6 min · East Grant Highway
15

Turn right onto IL 23

11 mi · 16 min · South State Street
16

At end of road, turn left onto US 14

1.1 mi · 1 min · South Division Street
17

Turn left onto IL 173

1.2 mi · 1 min · West Brink Street
18

Turn right onto T50

0.5 mi · 1 min · Lawrence Road
19

Turn left onto T50

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Ramer Road
20

Keep slight right at fork onto T50

1.3 mi · 3 min · Lawrence Road
21

Turn right onto T50

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Oak Grove Road
22

Turn right

79 ft · 5 sec
23

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Huntley, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Huntley, IL

32 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

Elk Grove, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Elgin, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 32.5 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 40.5 — 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.
5
3.3 mi into trip | ~6m in | South Dee Road

Turn left onto South Dee Road

Lane positioning matters here

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

Turn right onto Devon Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
5.2 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the ramp toward I 90 West Toll

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 90 West Toll
8
40.5 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward US 20: Hampshire, Marengo

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 42 Toward US 20: Hampshire, Marengo

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.06 one way

$20.12 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 23 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $11.03 $22.07
premium $4.93 $12.59 $25.18
diesel $5.60 $14.31 $28.61

Estimated Tolls: $2.45

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (35.1 mi) $2.45

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Tolls

$2

Total

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 19.5 0 $6.81 $3.12
Efficient EV 16.2 0 $5.68 $2.60
EV Truck/SUV 26 0 $9.09 $4.15

Gas CO2

23 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (65% 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 Aug 16, 2026

Origin

Niles, IL

Night in Niles on Saturday

Local time

11:35 PM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Partly Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

WNW 10 mph 29% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 16 at 11:49AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 16 at 11:49AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Lawrence, IL

Night in Lawrence on Saturday

Local time

11:35 PM

CDT

Current temp

82°F

Isolated Rain Showers then Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms

WNW 10 to 15 mph 18% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 16 at 11:49AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 16 at 11:49AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis 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

1h 27m 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 features a highway share of 0%, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire 64.9 miles. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 35.1 miles on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Since it's mostly surface roads, you can anticipate navigating through towns and local traffic for a significant portion of the drive.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.1 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

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 64.9 miles you will encounter 17 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 0.5 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (South Dee Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (Devon Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

932 ft 632 ft

Total Climb

495 ft

Total Descent

225 ft

Highest Point

932 ft

~60.3 mi in

Elevation Range

300 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from Niles, IL to Lawrence, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Marengo along the way.

Marengo

40.5 mi in | ~48m

About the Cities

Starting in Niles, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1832

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

Top landmarks

  • • Leaning Tower of Niles — replica tower of Pisa's, in Niles, Illinois, United States
  • • Katyń Monument in Niles — monument in Niles, Illinois, United States

Arriving in Lawrence, IL

Full guide →

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 27m. Total distance: 64.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 35.1 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.45 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 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 Lawrence, 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 3.3 miles (South Dee Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (Devon Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lawrence, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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