Origin
Round Lake Heights, IL
Late night in Round Lake Heights on Sunday
Local time
5:32 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Round Lake Heights, IL to Waukegan, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
14.4 mi
23 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 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Round Lake Heights, IL
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Round Lake Heights to Waukegan, you are in for a quick 14.4-mile trip through the Illinois Midwest. Expect to spend about 26 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal outing for a single-day excursion. With a fuel budget of just $2, this is a highly economical route that requires no overnight stops. You will primarily navigate via West Grand Avenue, West Rollins Road, and North Jackson Street. Because the entire journey stays on local roads, you won't have to deal with highway traffic, offering a straightforward experience for any driver.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Grand Avenue | 8.1 mi | 14m |
| West Rollins Road | 5.9 mi | 11m |
| North Jackson Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Brentwood Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tomahawk Trail | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Grand Avenue
— 8.1 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Round Lake Heights, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on Tomahawk Trail
50 ft
·
3 sec
·
Tomahawk Trail
2
Turn left onto Brentwood Drive
360 ft
·
21 sec
·
Brentwood Drive
3
Turn left onto West Rollins Road
5.9 mi
·
11 min
·
West Rollins Road
4
Turn right onto IL 132
8.1 mi
·
14 min
·
West Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto North Jackson Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
North Jackson Street
6
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 14.1 — 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
|
Brentwood Drive
Turn left onto Brentwood Drive
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Rollins Road
Turn left onto West Rollins Road
Navigation decision point
6
6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
IL 132 / West Grand Avenue
Turn right onto IL 132 / West Grand Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
14.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
North Jackson Street
Turn right onto North Jackson Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.25 one way
$4.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.47 | $4.94 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.77 | $5.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.18 | $6.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Sunday
Local time
5:32 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Widespread Fog
SSE 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 1:55AM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 1:55AM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
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
23 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
26m 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 trip is defined as a turn-heavy local drive, so keep your hands on the wheel and stay alert for frequent adjustments. You will spend 0% of your time on highways, meaning you are navigating surface streets for the entire 14.4-mile distance. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is 8.1 miles while traveling along West Grand Avenue. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route requires constant engagement with local intersections and changing road conditions. It is a practical, no-frills drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
6 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.1 mi on West Grand Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 Brentwood Drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 4 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 (Brentwood Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Rollins Road): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (IL 132 / West Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
813 ft
654 ft
Total Climb
129 ft
Total Descent
262 ft
Highest Point
813 ft
~1.8 mi in
Elevation Range
160 ft
About the Cities
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 26m. Total distance: 14.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m 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 8.1 miles on West Grand Avenue. 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 (Brentwood Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Rollins Road): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (IL 132 / West Grand Avenue): 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. 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 Waukegan, IL
More trips to Waukegan, IL
Explore more options from Round Lake Heights, IL or browse trips ending in Waukegan, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.