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Trip from Park Ridge, IL to Glen Ellyn, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

34m

Distance

19.6 mi

32 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 32m ★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Park Ridge, IL

Wikimedia Commons

town in DuPage County, Illinois, USA

Glen Ellyn, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Park Ridge, IL to Glen Ellyn, IL is 19.6 miles and takes about 34 minutes via Tri-State Tollway and surface roads, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip within the Midwest region, connecting two Illinois communities. Expect mostly surface roads for this drive, making it a simple point-to-point excursion. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick commute or a simple hop between nearby towns without significant travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 8.1 mi 10m
East North Avenue 5.7 mi 12m
Main Street 1.8 mi 4m
West Touhy Avenue 1.5 mi 3m
North Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
I 290 <0.1 mi <1m
South Des Plaines River Road <0.1 mi <1m
North Greenwood Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 8.1 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and Glen Ellyn, IL.

1

Start on this road

24 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue

92 ft · 6 sec · North Greenwood Avenue
3

Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue

1.5 mi · 3 min · West Touhy Avenue
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

8.1 mi · 10 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 33 Toward I 290 West: Rockford, Elmhurst Use the right lane.
8

Merge onto I 290

464 ft · 7 sec · I 290
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 13B Toward IL 64 West: North Avenue Use the right lane.
10

Turn straight onto IL 64

5.7 mi · 12 min · East North Avenue
Use the left / uturn lanes.
11

Continue on IL 64

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Avenue
12

Turn left onto Main Street

1.8 mi · 4 min · Main Street
Use the straight lane.
13

Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue

73 ft · 1 sec · Pennsylvania Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

Pennsylvania Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.4 — 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 left onto North Greenwood Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | South Des Plaines River Road

Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road

Navigation decision point

5
2 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Merge onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.1 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 290 West: Rockford, Elmhurst

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

Use the right lane. Exit 33 Toward I 290 West: Rockford, Elmhurst
8
10.4 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward IL 64 West: North Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 13B Toward IL 64 West: North Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.99 one way

$5.98 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $3.29 $6.59
premium $4.81 $3.71 $7.42
diesel $5.40 $4.17 $8.34

Estimated Tolls: $0.49

Tri-state Tollway (8.1 mi) $0.49

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$0

Total

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.06 $0.94
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.78
EV Truck/SUV 7.8 0 $2.74 $1.25

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 26, 2026

Origin

Park Ridge, IL

Late night in Park Ridge on Sunday

Local time

2:49 AM

CDT

Current temp

41°F

Areas Of Fog

NE 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Glen Ellyn, IL

Late night in Glen Ellyn on Sunday

Local time

2:49 AM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Partly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog

ENE 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

34m 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?

This drive is almost entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 8.1 miles on the Tri-State Tollway. After that, you'll transition to local streets like East North Avenue and Main Street. You'll notice the dense exits and merging traffic typical of a tollway before shifting to a more suburban driving experience on local roads.

Only 0% 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: 8.1 mi on Tri-State 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 11 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 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 19.6 miles you will encounter 11 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 1.5 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Park Ridge, IL to Glen Ellyn, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Elmhurst along the way.

Elmhurst

10.1 mi in | ~14m

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 Glen Ellyn, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1834

Glen Ellyn is a village in the Chicagoland area. This village has an interesting history filled with its ups and downs. However, today Glen Ellyn remains an affluent Chicago suburb with an abundance of historic sites and an exceptional dining scene.

Top landmarks

  • • Glen Ellyn Downtown South Historic District — historic district in Illinois, United States
  • • Lake Ellyn Park — park in Glen Ellyn, 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 34m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

34m 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 8.1 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.49 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 3 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 Glen Ellyn, 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 (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Glen Ellyn, 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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