Origin
Skokie, IL
Late night in Skokie on Tuesday
Local time
5:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Skokie, IL to Waukegan, 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
40m
Distance
27.3 mi
44 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 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Skokie, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Skokie, IL to Waukegan, IL is 27.3 miles and takes about 40m via Keeler Avenue/Dempster Street/Skokie Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest and Illinois, making it a straightforward local drive. Expect a route that involves frequent turns and navigating through suburban and urban environments rather than open highway. It's a quick journey perfect for a single day, with no need for overnight stops. Consider this a convenient option for connecting these two Illinois communities without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Skokie Highway | 8.2 mi | 10m |
| Edens Expressway | 4 mi | 5m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| Skokie Boulevard | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Dempster Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Keeler Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Skokie Highway
— 8.2 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Skokie, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on Main Street
156 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto Keeler Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Keeler Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto Dempster Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Dempster Street
4
Turn right onto US 41
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Skokie Boulevard
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp onto US 41
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
US 41
Toward I 94 West
6
Merge onto I 94; US 41
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 41
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Skokie Valley Road
9
Continue on US 41
8.2 mi
·
10 min
·
South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward IL 120 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto IL 120
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Belvidere Road
12
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
13
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Keeler Avenue
Turn left onto Keeler Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 41 / Skokie Boulevard
Turn right onto US 41 / Skokie Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 94; US 41 / Edens Expressway
Merge onto I 94; US 41 / Edens Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
8.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
US 41 / Skokie Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41 / Skokie Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
24.1 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward IL 120 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward IL 120 East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.27 one way
$8.54 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.69 | $9.37 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.03 | $12.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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 Tuesday
Local time
5:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
40m 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 route is characterized by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, with a 0% highway share. You won't be encountering any long stretches of uninterrupted highway here; instead, anticipate navigating a series of local streets like Keeler Avenue, Dempster Street, and Skokie Boulevard. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not applicable due to the frequent turns. Prepare for a drive that requires constant attention to turns and traffic signals as you move through developed areas. The road's personality is that of a typical urban and suburban commute.
Only 15% 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: 8.2 mi on South Skokie 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 early in the drive near Keeler Avenue.
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 9 decision points packed into just 27.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Keeler Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (US 41 / Skokie Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles (I 94; US 41 / Edens Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 40m. Total distance: 27.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m 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 8.2 miles on South Skokie 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 Waukegan, 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: near the start (Keeler Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (US 41 / Skokie Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles (I 94; US 41 / Edens Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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