Origin
Palos Heights, IL
Morning in Palos Heights on Tuesday
Local time
7:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palos Heights, IL to Aurora, 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
56m
Distance
33.1 mi
53 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palos Heights, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Palos Heights, IL to Aurora, IL is 33.1 miles and takes about 56 minutes via 75th Street, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, connecting two points in Illinois. Given the short duration, it's a straightforward drive, mostly on surface roads, making it ideal for a quick excursion. You'll find the route to be practical, without significant detours, perfect for a day trip or an easy commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 75th Street | 13.5 mi | 23m |
| Calumet Sag Road | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| East New York Street | 6 mi | 10m |
| Kingery Highway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Illinois Route 59 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| West College Drive | 1 mi | 1m |
| IL 83 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Archer Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
75th Street
— 13.5 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palos Heights, IL and Aurora, IL.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 123rd Street
50 ft
·
5 sec
·
West 123rd Street
3
Turn right onto IL 43
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
Harlem Avenue
4
Turn left onto IL 83
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West College Drive
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on IL 83
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Calumet Sag Road
6
Turn right onto IL 83; IL 171
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Archer Avenue
7
Continue on IL 83
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
IL 83
8
Continue on IL 83
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Kingery Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto 75th Street
13 mi
·
23 min
·
75th Street
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto IL 59
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Illinois Route 59
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto East New York Street
6.0 mi
·
10 min
·
East New York Street
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto IL 31
417 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Lake Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
14
Arrive at destination
West Galena Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.6 miles from Palos Heights, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 123rd Street
Turn right onto West 123rd Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 83 / West College Drive
Turn left onto IL 83 / West College Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
75th Street
Turn left onto 75th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
25.9 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
IL 59 / Illinois Route 59
Turn right onto IL 59 / Illinois Route 59
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
32.9 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
IL 31 / North Lake Street
Turn left onto IL 31 / North Lake Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.17 one way
$10.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.68 | $11.36 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.37 | $12.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.31 | $14.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.48 | $1.59 |
| Efficient EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.90 | $1.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.63 | $2.12 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Aurora, IL
Morning in Aurora on Tuesday
Local time
7:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
2 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
56m 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 drive is primarily on surface roads, with only about 6% of the total distance being highway. You'll spend most of your time navigating local streets. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 13.5 miles on 75th Street. Expect to encounter traffic signals and intersections frequently, as is typical for routes dominated by surface streets.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on 75th Street.
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 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 123rd 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 33.1 miles you will encounter 9 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 123rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IL 83 / West College Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (75th Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Palos Heights, IL
Full guide →Palos Heights (also known simply as Palos) is a town in Chicago's southern suburbs with a large Muslim minority.
Arriving in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
Top landmarks
- • Aurora University — private university in Aurora, Illinois, U.S
- • Hotel Arthur — United States historic place
- • Graham Building — historic building in Aurora, 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 56m. Total distance: 33.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m 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 13.5 miles on 75th Street. 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 Aurora, 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 123rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IL 83 / West College Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (75th Street): 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 Aurora, 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.
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