Origin
Park Ridge, IL
Late night in Park Ridge on Tuesday
Local time
4:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Park Ridge, IL to Waukegan, 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
43m
Distance
30.6 mi
49 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 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
Trip Overview
This 30.6-mile drive from Park Ridge, IL, to Waukegan, IL, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 43 minutes. With a modest fuel cost estimate of $5, it's an economical option for a single-day excursion within the Midwest. The route primarily utilizes local roads with some time on the Tri-State Tollway, making it a practical choice for a short getaway. You won't need an overnight stay for this journey; it's designed for a single day of travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 21 mi | 24m |
| North Greenwood Avenue | 3 mi | 6m |
| Belvidere Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| West Golf Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| South Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glen Rock Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Jackson Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 21 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on this road
24 ft
·
3 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto North Greenwood Avenue
3.0 mi
·
6 min
·
North Greenwood Avenue
3
Turn left onto IL 58
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
West Golf Road
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 294
21 mi
·
24 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 11A
Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto IL 120
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Belvidere Road
8
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
9
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
11
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 29.6 — 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 right onto North Greenwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
5
4.8 mi into trip
|
~9m 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.
7
25.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11A
Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
5
29.6 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.78 one way
$9.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.76 | $13.51 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.26
Tri-state Tollway
(21 mi)
$1.26
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.68 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Tuesday
Local time
4:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
3 degrees cooler 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?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 30.6-mile trip, as indicated by the profile. While you'll spend some time on the Tri-State Tollway, its contribution to the total distance is moderate, with the longest continuous stretch being 21 miles. The majority of your journey will involve navigating local streets like North Greenwood Avenue and Belvidere Road. This blend means you'll experience varying speeds and frequent directional changes, offering a dynamic driving experience rather than a monotonous highway cruise. With a 0% highway share, be prepared for more interaction with local traffic patterns.
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: 21 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
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 43m drive. You will face about 6 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; at 4.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Park Ridge, IL
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Waukegan, IL
Full guide →Waukegan is in the Far North Suburbs of the Chicagoland region of Illinois. It sits on Lake Michigan, has a large harbor, and is the county seat of Lake County, 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: 30.6 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.26 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. 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 4.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waukegan, 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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