Origin
Skokie, IL
Late night in Skokie on Tuesday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Skokie, 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
19m
Distance
9.6 mi
15 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 18m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Skokie, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Skokie and Des Plaines, this short 9.6-mile journey is a straightforward local trip that typically takes about 19 minutes. Because the entire route remains within the Midwest, you will experience a familiar suburban landscape throughout the drive. You won't need to worry about extensive planning or overnight stays, as this is easily completed as a quick day trip. With fuel costs estimated at just $1, it is an incredibly economical way to navigate between these two Illinois locations. Since there are no required stops, you have the flexibility to head out whenever it fits your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oakton Street | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Gross Point Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Kostner Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Gross Point Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Oakton Street
— 2.6 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Skokie, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on Main Street
156 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on Main Street
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto Kostner Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Kostner Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Oakton Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Oakton Street
5
Turn slight left onto Gross Point Road
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
Gross Point Road
6
Turn straight onto New Gross Point Road
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
New Gross Point Road
7
Turn right onto Howard Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Howard Street
8
Turn left onto North Lehigh Avenue
120 ft
·
2 sec
·
North Lehigh Avenue
9
Turn right onto West Gross Point Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Gross Point Road
10
Turn slight right onto West Touhy Avenue
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the right lane.
11
Turn slight right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
12
Turn slight left onto Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
14
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 3.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Continue onto Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Kostner Avenue
Turn left onto Kostner Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Oakton Street
Turn right onto Oakton Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Howard Street
Turn right onto Howard Street
Navigation decision point
5
3.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
North Lehigh Avenue
Turn left onto North Lehigh Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.50 one way
$3.00 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.65 | $3.30 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.85 | $3.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.12 | $4.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.84 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.34 | $0.61 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Des Plaines, IL
Late night in Des Plaines on Tuesday
Local time
5:41 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
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
19m 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 rather than a high-speed highway experience, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate using a combination of Oakton Street, West Touhy Avenue, and Busse Highway to reach your destination. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 2.6-mile segment on Oakton Street, meaning you will be navigating frequent intersections and local traffic patterns. This drive requires your full attention behind the wheel as you transition between these suburban thoroughfares. It is a practical, utilitarian route that prioritizes local connectivity over scenic cruising.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.6 mi on Oakton Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 9.6 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Kostner Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Oakton Street): 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 19m. Total distance: 9.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.6 miles on Oakton Street. 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 (Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Kostner Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Oakton Street): 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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