Origin
Palatine, IL
Morning in Palatine on Sunday
Local time
7:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palatine, IL to St. Charles, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 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 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palatine, IL
Wikimedia Commons
St. Charles, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Palatine, IL to St. Charles, IL is 27.2 miles and takes about 43m via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region for a straightforward trip. Expect a local feel with a few turns, making it a manageable journey for a single day. It's a good option if you're looking for a quick connection between these two suburban areas without a long commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Stearns Road | 5.5 mi | 9m |
| Saint Charles Street | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| North Liberty Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| South Plum Grove Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| South Meacham Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Dundee Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Palatine Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 10.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palatine, IL and St. Charles, IL.
1
Start on East Palatine Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Palatine Road
2
Turn left onto South Plum Grove Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South Plum Grove Road
3
Continue on South Meacham Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Meacham Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 90
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
504 ft
·
12 sec
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
8
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
this road
9
Turn left onto IL 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Dundee Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
At end of road, turn left onto IL 25
460 ft
·
12 sec
·
Page Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn slight right
144 ft
·
6 sec
12
Turn straight onto IL 25
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
North Liberty Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto IL 25
328 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bluff City Boulevard
14
Turn left onto IL 25
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Saint Charles Street
15
Turn right onto IL 25; CR 37
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Stearns Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
IL 25
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 4 and 21.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
5
4.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward IL 25
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
6
16.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
IL 25 / Page Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto IL 25 / Page Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
21.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
IL 25; CR 37 / Stearns Road
Turn right onto IL 25; CR 37 / Stearns Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.25 one way
$8.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.67 | $9.34 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.72
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(10.3 mi)
$0.72
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
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
St. Charles, IL
Morning in St. Charles on Sunday
Local time
7:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
43m 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 trip is characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive' with a 0% highway share, meaning you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire 27.2 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.3 miles on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Be prepared for frequent turns and changes in scenery as you transition through various local roads. The route includes segments on Stearns Road and Saint Charles Street, indicating a decidedly non-interstate experience.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
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 around 4 miles in.
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 27.2 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: at 4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Palatine, IL
Full guide →Arriving in St. Charles, IL
Full guide →Founded 1834
St. Charles is a city in the Fox River Valley.
Top landmarks
- • Hotel Baker — St. Charles, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)...
- • Arcada Theater — theater and movie theater in St. Charles, Illinois, United States
- • Andrew Weisel House — house in St. Charles, 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 43m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m 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 10.3 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.72 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.
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 St. Charles, 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 4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at St. Charles, 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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