Origin
Park Ridge, IL
Night in Park Ridge on Saturday
Local time
11:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Park Ridge, IL to Cary, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
26.4 mi
42 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 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Park Ridge, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Cary, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Park Ridge, IL to Cary, IL is 26.4 miles and takes about 43 minutes via East Rand Road and State Route 22, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest. You'll primarily be navigating surface roads for most of this drive, making it a straightforward commute rather than a scenic adventure. It's a good option if you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Rand Road | 13.1 mi | 20m |
| State Route 22 | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| Busse Highway | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Rand Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| South Northwest Highway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Greenwood Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Rand Road
— 13.1 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and Cary, IL.
1
Start on this road
24 ft
·
3 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto North Greenwood Avenue
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
North Greenwood Avenue
3
Turn left onto Busse Highway
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Busse Highway
4
At end of road, turn left onto US 14
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Miner Street
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
6
Turn left onto US 12
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Rand Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on US 12
13 mi
·
20 min
·
East Rand Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left onto IL 22
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
West Main Street
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on IL 22
4.9 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 22
10
At end of road, turn right onto US 14
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South Northwest Highway
11
Turn right onto North 1st Street
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
North 1st Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right
42 ft
·
3 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.2 — 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
|
North Greenwood Avenue
Turn right onto North Greenwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 14 / Miner Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 14 / Miner Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
3.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 12 / Rand Road
Turn left onto US 12 / Rand Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
18.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
IL 22 / West Main Street
Turn left onto IL 22 / West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
26.2 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
North 1st Street
Turn right onto North 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.03 one way
$8.06 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $4.44 | $8.87 |
| premium | $4.81 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $5.62 | $11.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Cary, IL
Night in Cary on Saturday
Local time
11:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
56°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
12 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
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 route is mostly surface roads, with only 19% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a 13.1-mile stretch on East Rand Road, which will likely feel like typical suburban driving with various intersections and traffic lights. Expect to transition from any limited highway segments onto these surface roads fairly early in your trip, which means you’ll be dealing with more local traffic and speed limit changes.
Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on East Rand Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Greenwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 26.4 miles you will encounter 8 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 (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (US 14 / Miner Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (US 12 / Rand Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Park Ridge, IL
Full guide →Founded 1873
Park Ridge is a city in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicagoland, just outside of Chicago. It has a lively uptown area that has plenty of local businesses and restaurants. You can watch a film at the historic Pickwick Theatre or have a pool day at Centennial Park. Park Ridge is a great and accessible small town to escape to for a day trip, with lots of fun and exciting activities to fill your schedule.
Top landmarks
- • Pickwick Theatre — movie theatre in Park Ridge, Illinois, United States
- • Park Ridge Youth Campus — former school/orphanage in Park Ridge, Illinois
Arriving in Cary, IL
Full guide →Founded 1833
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: 26.4 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (19%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.1 miles on East Rand Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (US 14 / Miner Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (US 12 / Rand 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 Cary, 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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