Origin
Riverwoods, IL
Morning in Riverwoods on Tuesday
Local time
7:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverwoods, IL to Des Plaines, 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
18m
Distance
11.2 mi
18 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverwoods, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Riverwoods to Des Plaines is 11.2 miles and takes about 18 minutes via North Des Plaines River Road/South Milwaukee Avenue/North Milwaukee Avenue, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Illinois, offering a straightforward local connection between two communities. Expect a journey with frequent turns as you navigate through residential and commercial areas. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a simple hop between towns without significant planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Des Plaines River Road | 5 mi | 8m |
| South Milwaukee Avenue | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Deerfield Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Portwine Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Des Plaines River Road
— 5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Riverwoods, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on Portwine Road
6 ft
·
4 sec
·
Portwine Road
2
Turn right onto Deerfield Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Deerfield Road
3
Turn left onto US 45; IL 21
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
4
Continue on US 45; IL 21
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
South Milwaukee Avenue
5
Turn right onto US 45
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Des Plaines River Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
7
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11 — 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
|
Deerfield Road
Turn right onto Deerfield Road
Navigation decision point
4
6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 45 / North Des Plaines River Road
Turn right onto US 45 / North Des Plaines River Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
11 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Henry Avenue
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.75 one way
$3.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.92 | $3.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.16 | $4.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.47 | $4.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.18 | $0.54 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.98 | $0.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.57 | $0.72 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Tuesday
Local time
7:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
18m 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 trip is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," with no highway mileage contributing to the 11.2-mile journey. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is about 5 miles along North Des Plaines River Road. As you proceed, you'll be transitioning between North Des Plaines River Road, South Milwaukee Avenue, and North Milwaukee Avenue, indicating a need for attention to navigation. The driving experience will involve frequent adjustments to speed and direction, typical of navigating through populated suburban environments.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on North Des Plaines River Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Deerfield Road.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Riverwoods, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 18m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (US 45 / North Des Plaines River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (Henry Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
Top landmarks
- • McDonald's #1 Store Museum — former McDonald's spot
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 18m. Total distance: 11.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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 5 miles on North Des Plaines River 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 (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (US 45 / North Des Plaines River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (Henry Avenue): Navigation decision point.
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 Des Plaines, 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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