Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Niles, IL to Shorewood, IL

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

Drive Time

1h 5m

Distance

47.7 mi

77 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 0m ★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m

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 Troy Township, Will County, Illinois, United States

Shorewood, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 47.7-mile drive from Niles, IL to Shorewood, IL is a straightforward trip perfect for a single day. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 5 minutes on the road, making it an easy excursion. You'll primarily navigate via the Adlai Stevenson Expressway and the Tri-State Tollway, with a portion on West Touhy Avenue. With a fuel cost estimated at $7, this is an economical journey. Both your origin and destination are within the Midwest region, so you'll be experiencing familiar terrain throughout. This route is ideal if you're looking for a quick, no-fuss trip without needing an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 23.7 mi 29m
Tri-State Tollway 17.5 mi 22m
West Touhy Avenue 3.5 mi 6m
West Jefferson Street 0.5 mi 1m
North Waukegan Road 0.4 mi <1m
East Jefferson Street 0.1 mi <1m
Summer Street 0.1 mi <1m
North Milwaukee Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Adlai Stevenson Expressway — 23.7 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

3.5 mi · 6 min · West Touhy Avenue
Use the right lane.
4

Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road

184 ft · 3 sec · South Des Plaines River Road
5

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Toward I 294 South: Indiana
6

Merge onto I 294

11 mi · 14 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 23 Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis Use the slight right lane.
11

Merge onto I 55

24 mi · 29 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Exit 253 Toward US 52: Shorewood, Joliet Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn right onto US 52

0.3 mi · 37 sec · West Jefferson Street
14

Continue on US 52

0.1 mi · 16 sec · East Jefferson Street
15

Continue on US 52

0.1 mi · 23 sec · West Jefferson Street
16

Turn left onto Summer Street

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Summer Street
Use the left lane.
17

Arrive at destination

Summer Street

Where to Stop

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

village in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lombard, IL

24 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

Des Plaines, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downers Grove, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.9 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 47.6 — 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
20.8 mi into trip | ~29m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
22.6 mi into trip | ~32m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 55 South: Saint Louis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
46.8 mi into trip | ~1h 3m in

Take the exit toward US 52: Shorewood, Joliet

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 253 Toward US 52: Shorewood, Joliet
7
47.6 mi into trip | ~1h 4m in | Summer Street

Turn left onto Summer Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.46 one way

$14.91 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.19 $16.38
premium $4.89 $9.18 $18.36
diesel $5.61 $10.53 $21.06

Estimated Tolls: $1.05

Tri-state Tollway (17.5 mi) $1.05

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.3 0 $5.01 $2.29
Efficient EV 11.9 0 $4.17 $1.91
EV Truck/SUV 19.1 0 $6.68 $3.05

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 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 Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Niles, IL

Late night in Niles on Sunday

Local time

1:02 AM

CDT

Current temp

69°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

NNW 10 to 15 mph 43% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Shorewood, IL

Late night in Shorewood on Sunday

Local time

1:02 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°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

18 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 5m 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?

The personality of this drive is decidedly mixed, with about 50% of the journey taking place on highways. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 23.7 miles on the Adlai Stevenson Expressway, offering a period of consistent speed. The remainder of the drive will likely involve navigating local roads, adding a different rhythm to your travel. This combination means you’ll experience both the efficiency of expressways and the more varied pace of surface streets as you progress from Niles to Shorewood.

50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.7 mi on Adlai Stevenson Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.7 miles you will encounter 12 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 20.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.

On the drive from Niles, IL to Shorewood, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St. Louis along the way.

St. Louis

22 mi in | ~30m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 23.7 miles on Adlai Stevenson Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.05 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.

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 Shorewood, 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 20.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Shorewood, 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 Shorewood, IL

Bloomington, IL 92.1 mi · 1h 47m Rockford, IL 92.1 mi · 2h Naperville, IL 21.2 mi · 35m Aurora, IL 20 mi · 35m

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

More trips to Shorewood, IL

Chicago, IL 41.4 mi Elmhurst, IL 35.7 mi
Escape planner: Niles, IL Scenic drives in IL

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

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.