Origin
Riverdale, IL
Morning in Riverdale on Tuesday
Local time
8:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverdale, IL to Aurora, 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
1h 10m
Distance
43.6 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverdale, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 43.6-mile drive from Riverdale, IL, to Aurora, IL, is designed for a single day, taking about 1 hour and 10 minutes. You'll navigate primarily on the Tri-State Tollway, 75th Street, and East New York Street, with about 9% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $7, and with no recommended stops, it's a straightforward excursion within the Midwest region. This route offers a practical way to travel between these two Illinois communities without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 14.4 mi | 17m |
| 75th Street | 13.5 mi | 23m |
| East New York Street | 6 mi | 10m |
| Adlai Stevenson Expressway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| East 147th Street | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| Illinois Route 59 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Halsted Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Kingery Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 14.4 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Riverdale, IL and Aurora, IL.
1
Start on West 144th Street
37 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 144th Street
2
Continue on West 144th Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 144th Street
Use the left lane.
3
At end of road, turn left onto IL 1
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Halsted Street
4
Turn right onto IL 83
2.6 mi
·
5 min
·
East 147th Street
5
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8
Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 294
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
449 ft
·
11 sec
Exit 23B
Toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis
Use the right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 55
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 274
Toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto IL 83
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
Kingery Highway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto 75th Street
13 mi
·
23 min
·
75th Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto IL 59
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Illinois Route 59
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left onto East New York Street
6.0 mi
·
10 min
·
East New York Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto IL 31
417 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Lake Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
17
Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
18
Arrive at destination
West Galena Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Riverdale, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 3.8 and 22.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8
Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
8
18.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 23B
Toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis
7
18.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
21.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 274
Toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road
8
22.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight right at fork toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.82 one way
$13.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.48 | $14.97 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.39 | $16.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.63 | $19.25 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.86
Tri-state Tollway
(14.4 mi)
$0.86
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.10 | $2.79 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Morning in Aurora on Tuesday
Local time
8:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
18 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
1h 10m 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 43.6-mile trip. While 9% of the route is on highways, the majority involves navigating through local streets, indicated by the 'Turn-heavy local drive' profile. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be about 14.4 miles on the Tri-State Tollway. This means you'll experience a dynamic driving environment, shifting between faster tollway speeds and more frequent adjustments on urban and suburban roads as you make your way from Riverdale to Aurora.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.4 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 3.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.6 miles you will encounter 16 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: at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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 Riverdale, IL to Aurora, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Saint Louis along the way.
Saint Louis
18.8 mi in
|
~27m
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 1h 10m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m 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 14.4 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.86 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.
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 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Aurora, IL
More trips to Aurora, IL
Explore more options from Riverdale, IL or browse trips ending in Aurora, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.