Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Niles, IL to Oakwood Hills, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

55m

Distance

31.5 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

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 51m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m

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

Downtown Oakwood Hills, IL, IL

Oakwood Hills, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

Niles, IL to Oakwood Hills, IL is 31.5 miles and takes about 55 minutes via East Rand Road and State Route 22, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, making it a straightforward journey through the Midwest. Expect a local feel for most of the drive, with a good portion on surface streets rather than high-speed highways. Given its short length and low fuel cost, this route is perfect for a quick day trip or an easy relocation.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Rand Road 8.9 mi 12m
State Route 22 4.9 mi 7m
Milwaukee Avenue 4.5 mi 7m
Palatine Road 3.8 mi 6m
North Milwaukee Avenue 3.1 mi 5m
South Northwest Highway 2.7 mi 4m
Silver Lake Road 1.3 mi 5m
Silver Lake Trail 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: East Rand Road — 8.9 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Niles, IL and Oakwood Hills, IL.

1

Start on North Waukegan Road

14 ft · 6 sec · North Waukegan Road
2

Turn left onto West Howard Street

0.2 mi · 30 sec · West Howard Street
3

Turn right onto IL 21

3.1 mi · 5 min · North Milwaukee Avenue
Use the right lane.
4

Continue on IL 21

4.5 mi · 7 min · Milwaukee Avenue
Use the left lane.
5

Turn left onto Old Palatine Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Old Palatine Road
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on West Palatine Road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · West Palatine Road
7

Take the ramp

359 ft · 9 sec
Toward Palatine Road
8

Merge onto Palatine Road

3.8 mi · 6 min · Palatine Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn right onto US 12

8.9 mi · 12 min · East Rand Road
Use the right lane.
10

Turn left onto IL 22

0.4 mi · 53 sec · West Main Street
Use the left lane.
11

Continue on IL 22

4.9 mi · 7 min · State Route 22
12

At end of road, turn right onto US 14

2.7 mi · 4 min · South Northwest Highway
13

Turn right onto Cary Algonquin Road

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Cary Algonquin Road
14

Continue on Silver Lake Road

1.3 mi · 5 min · Silver Lake Road
15

Continue on Silver Lake Trail

0.5 mi · 1 min · Silver Lake Trail
16

Continue on Lake Shore Drive

0.4 mi · 1 min · Lake Shore Drive
17

Turn right onto Oakhill Road

507 ft · 22 sec · Oakhill Road
18

Arrive at destination

Oakhill Road

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

Palatine, IL

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

Fox River Grove, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 31.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Palatine, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.8 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Howard Street

Turn left onto West Howard Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | IL 21 / North Milwaukee Avenue

Turn right onto IL 21 / North Milwaukee Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
7.8 mi into trip | ~12m in | Old Palatine Road

Turn left onto Old Palatine Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
8.4 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the ramp toward Palatine Road

Navigation decision point

Toward Palatine Road
5
8.4 mi into trip | ~14m in | Palatine Road

Merge onto Palatine Road

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.92 one way

$9.85 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.41 $10.81
premium $4.89 $6.06 $12.12
diesel $5.61 $6.95 $13.91

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11 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 $3.31 $1.51
Efficient EV 7.9 0 $2.76 $1.26
EV Truck/SUV 12.6 0 $4.41 $2.02

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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Niles, IL

Late night in Niles on Sunday

Local time

5:07 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Widespread Fog

SE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 16 at 11:52PM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 16 at 11:52PM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Oakwood Hills, IL

Late night in Oakwood Hills on Sunday

Local time

5:07 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Widespread Fog

SE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 16 at 11:52PM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 16 at 11:52PM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM 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

4 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

55m 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 is characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be navigating through towns and making frequent turns. Only 16% of the drive involves highway travel, so be prepared for a more engaged driving experience. The longest stretch without a turn or significant change in direction is 8.9 miles on East Rand Road. You'll primarily use East Rand Road, State Route 22, and Milwaukee Avenue, all of which are well-trafficked local and state roads.

Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on East Rand Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Howard Street.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 31.5 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (West Howard Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IL 21 / North Milwaukee Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (Old Palatine Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 31.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

55m 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 8.9 miles on East Rand Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Oakwood 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: near the start (West Howard Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IL 21 / North Milwaukee Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (Old Palatine Road): 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 Oakwood 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

More from Niles, IL

Saint Rose, IL 300.7 mi · 5h 45m Godfrey, IL 292.1 mi · 5h 36m Hamel, IL 270.5 mi · 5h 5m Peoria, IL 170.5 mi · 3h 18m Galena, IL 152 mi · 3h 16m Gardner, IL 73.6 mi · 1h 33m
Escape planner: Niles, IL Scenic drives in IL

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

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.