Origin
Northbrook, IL
Late night in Northbrook on Tuesday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Northbrook, IL to Waukegan, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
22.8 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Northbrook, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Northbrook, IL to Waukegan, IL is 22.8 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Tri-State Tollway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Illinois, so you'll be navigating familiar terrain. It's a straightforward drive that's perfect for a quick errand or a short hop between towns. With minimal driving time, you can easily fit this into your schedule without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 13.3 mi | 15m |
| Edens Spur | 2.8 mi | 2m |
| Belvidere Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Waukegan Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Shermer Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glen Rock Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 13.3 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Northbrook, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on this road
298 ft
·
27 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto 1st Street
294 ft
·
15 sec
·
1st Street
3
Turn left onto Walters Avenue
121 ft
·
8 sec
·
Walters Avenue
4
Turn left onto Shermer Road
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Shermer Road
5
Keep slight right at fork onto Shermer Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Shermer Road
6
Turn left onto IL 43
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Waukegan Road
7
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 94 Toll West: Milwaukee
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 94
2.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Spur
9
Merge onto I 94
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 11A
Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto IL 120
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Belvidere Road
12
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
13
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 21.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
1st Street
Turn left onto 1st Street
Navigation decision point
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward I 94 Toll West: Milwaukee
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 94 Toll West: Milwaukee
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 94 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 94 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.9 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
21.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.56 one way
$7.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.91 | $7.83 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.39 | $8.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.80
Tri-state Tollway
(13.3 mi)
$0.80
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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 Tuesday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
3 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
31m 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?
This route is primarily on surface roads, with only a portion on highways. You'll experience about 13.3 miles on the Tri-State Tollway before transitioning to local streets. Expect a mostly surface road experience, which means you'll encounter more traffic signals and varied speed limits as you get closer to Waukegan. The transition from highway to surface roads will likely involve navigating busier intersections.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.3 mi on Tri-State 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 0.1 miles in near 1st Street.
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 11 decision points packed into just 22.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles (I 94 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Northbrook, IL
Full guide →Northbrook is a city of 33,000 people (2019) in Illinois. Northbrook's downtown shopping district features boutiques and specialty stores.
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 31m. Total distance: 22.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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 13.3 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.80 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 — we found about 2 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 Waukegan, 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 0.1 miles (1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles (I 94 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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