Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
33.6 mi
54 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portage Park, IL
Willian Justen de Vasconcellos
Waukegan, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Portage Park, IL to Waukegan, IL is 33.6 miles and takes about 46m via Edens Expressway and South Skokie Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. The route offers a mix of highway cruising and surface street driving, making it a straightforward option for a short hop. It's a practical choice if you need to get from the Chicago area north towards the Wisconsin border without a significant time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13 mi | 16m |
| South Skokie Highway | 8.2 mi | 10m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| West Montrose Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| South Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glen Rock Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Portage Park, IL and Waukegan, IL.
Start on West Hutchinson Street
Turn right onto North Central Avenue
Turn right onto West Montrose Avenue
Turn left onto IL 50
Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 94
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41
Continue on US 41
Continue on US 41
Take the exit
Turn straight onto IL 120
Continue on IL 120
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
Arrive at destination
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.
A short stop after about 33.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16.8 miles from Portage Park, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 14.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 94 West
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Merge onto I 94 / Edens Expressway toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41 / Skokie Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.13 one way
$10.25 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $5.65 | $11.29 |
| premium | $4.81 | $6.36 | $12.72 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $7.15 | $14.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.70 | $2.15 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Portage Park on Sunday
Local time
4:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog
Destination
Late night in Waukegan on Sunday
Local time
4:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is about 39% highway, meaning you'll spend a good portion on faster roads before transitioning. You'll encounter a stretch of 13 miles on the Edens Expressway, which is the longest continuous highway segment. After the highway portion concludes, expect to navigate surface streets for the remainder of the trip. Keep an eye out for the frequent exits and merges common in this type of mixed highway and surface road profile.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 33.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (West Wilson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Founded 1859
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 33.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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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