Origin
Preston Heights, IL
Afternoon in Preston Heights on Sunday
Local time
12:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Preston Heights, IL to Aurora, 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
47m
Distance
26.2 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 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Preston Heights, IL
Eddie O.
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Preston Heights to Aurora is 26.2 miles and takes about 47 minutes via Lincoln Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. The route primarily uses surface roads, making it a straightforward drive. It’s a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day. Plan for a quick transit between these two Illinois locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Highway | 7.5 mi | 11m |
| South Larkin Avenue | 2.9 mi | 6m |
| Plainfield Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Joliet Road | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Hill Avenue | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| I 80 | 2 mi | 2m |
| East New York Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| South Chicago Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Lincoln Highway
— 7.5 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Preston Heights, IL and Aurora, IL.
1
Start on Haviland Drive
200 ft
·
10 sec
·
Haviland Drive
2
Turn right onto Zurich Road
270 ft
·
7 sec
·
Zurich Road
3
Turn left onto IL 53
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Chicago Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 80 West: Moline-Rock Island
5
Merge onto I 80
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 80
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 130B
Toward IL 7 North: Larkin Avenue
Use the right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
169 ft
·
4 sec
Exit 130B
Toward IL 7 North: Larkin Avenue
8
Turn straight onto IL 7
2.9 mi
·
6 min
·
South Larkin Avenue
9
Turn left onto US 30
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Plainfield Road
10
Continue on US 30
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Joliet Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn slight right onto US 30; IL 59; US 66 Hist
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
North Division Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto US 30
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
143rd Street
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto US 30
7.5 mi
·
11 min
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on Hill Avenue
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Hill Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on East Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Galena Boulevard
16
Turn right onto North Ohio Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
North Ohio Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto East New York Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East New York Street
Use the left lane.
18
Turn left onto IL 31
417 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Lake Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
19
Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
20
Arrive at destination
West Galena Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 3.7 and 24.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward IL 7 North: Larkin Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 130B
Toward IL 7 North: Larkin Avenue
7
4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward IL 7 North: Larkin Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 130B
Toward IL 7 North: Larkin Avenue
6
13.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
US 30 / 143rd Street
Turn left onto US 30 / 143rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
24.4 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
North Ohio Street
Turn right onto North Ohio Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
24.5 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
East New York Street
Turn left onto East New York Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.00 one way
$7.99 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $4.40 | $8.80 |
| premium | $4.81 | $4.96 | $9.91 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $5.57 | $11.15 |
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 | $2.75 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.29 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.67 | $1.68 |
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
Aurora, IL
Afternoon in Aurora on Sunday
Local time
12:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Partly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog
ENE 5 to 15 mph
0% chance
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
2 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
47m 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 predominantly on surface roads, with only about 8% of the total mileage on highways. You'll encounter the longest stretch of continuous driving on Lincoln Highway for 7.5 miles. Expect to navigate through more developed areas with frequent intersections, as indicated by the low highway share. The transition from any highway segment to surface roads will likely involve more local traffic and signals.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.5 mi on Lincoln Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 26.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.4 miles (US 30 / 143rd Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
Top landmarks
- • Aurora University — private university in Aurora, Illinois, U.S
- • Hotel Arthur — United States historic place
- • Graham Building — historic building in Aurora, 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 47m. Total distance: 26.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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 7.5 miles on Lincoln Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Aurora, 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: at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.4 miles (US 30 / 143rd Street): 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 Aurora, 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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