Origin
Park Ridge, IL
Afternoon in Park Ridge on Friday
Local time
3:34 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Park Ridge, IL to Northfield, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
9 mi
15 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Park Ridge, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Northfield, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
Park Ridge, IL to Northfield, IL is 9 miles and takes about 16m via North Waukegan Road, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Illinois, making it a convenient local excursion. The drive is primarily on surface roads, so you won't encounter major highway speeds or complex interchanges. It's a straightforward connection between two suburban communities, perfect for a quick errand or a brief scenic drive without committing to a long journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Waukegan Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Waukegan Road | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Wagner Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| North Harlem Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Lake Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Oakton Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Greenwood Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Waukegan Road
— 2 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and Northfield, IL.
1
Start on this road
24 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue
92 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Greenwood Avenue
3
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
4
Turn left onto IL 43
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto IL 43
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Oakton Street
6
Turn left onto IL 43
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Waukegan Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on IL 43
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Waukegan Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto East Lake Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Lake Avenue
9
Turn left onto Wagner Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Wagner Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto Bosworth Lane
79 ft
·
3 sec
·
Bosworth Lane
11
Arrive at destination
Bosworth Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.6 — 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
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue
Turn left onto IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
IL 43 / West Oakton Street
Turn right onto IL 43 / West Oakton Street
Navigation decision point
6
7.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Wagner Road
Turn left onto Wagner Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.40 one way
$2.79 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $1.53 | $3.06 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.75 | $3.49 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $1.98 | $3.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.43 |
| Efficient EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Northfield, IL
Afternoon in Northfield on Friday
Local time
3:34 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°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
17 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
16m 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 entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share, meaning you'll be navigating local streets for the full 9 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 2 miles along North Waukegan Road. You can expect to be merging with local traffic and observing typical suburban speed limits for the entire duration. Watch for frequent intersections as you travel.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2 mi on North Waukegan Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Greenwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 16m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (West Touhy Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
664 ft
630 ft
Total Climb
65 ft
Total Descent
73 ft
Highest Point
664 ft
~0.6 mi in
Elevation Range
33 ft
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 Northfield, IL
Full guide →Northfield is a city in The suburbs of Chicago Illinois It is about 20 miles North of the city of Chicago. The Population is around 5500 people. The city is primarily a residential village, with a small section of commercial real-estate.
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 16m. Total distance: 9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2 miles on North Waukegan 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; near the start (West Touhy Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue): 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 Northfield, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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