Origin
South Chicago Heights, IL
Morning in South Chicago Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Chicago Heights, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
47.7 mi
77 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 4m
★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Chicago Heights, IL
John Hill
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 47.7-mile drive from South Chicago Heights to Des Plaines, Illinois, is a straightforward, single-day trip that should take about 1 hour and 9 minutes. You'll navigate primarily using Dixie Highway and Chicago Road, with a significant portion on the Tri-State Tollway. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $7, this route is an economical choice for a quick journey within the Midwest region. The drive is designed for a single day, requiring no overnight stays. Expect a local feel with frequent turns rather than a long, open highway experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 37 mi | 46m |
| Dixie Highway | 4.7 mi | 10m |
| Chicago Road | 2 mi | 5m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Governors Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Wood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Touhy Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 37 mi, about 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Chicago Heights, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on West Sauk Trail
28 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Sauk Trail
2
Turn left onto IL 1
2.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Chicago Road
3
Turn left onto Dixie Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Dixie Highway
4
Keep slight right at fork onto Dixie Highway
2.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Dixie Highway
5
Continue on Dixie Highway
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Dixie Highway
6
Continue on Dixie Highway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Dixie Highway
7
Turn right onto Governors Highway
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Governors Highway
8
Continue on Wood Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Wood Street
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 294 North, I 80 West: Tri-State Tollway
10
Merge onto I 80; I 294
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
24 mi
·
29 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the right lane.
18
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
325 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Touhy Avenue
19
Turn slight right
339 ft
·
9 sec
20
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
21
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 23.8 miles from South Chicago Heights, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 7.3 and 45.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
7.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the ramp toward I 294 North, I 80 West: Tri-State Tollway
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 294 North, I 80 West: Tri-State Tollwa...
6
8.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
44.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward Touhy Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
7
45.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Touhy Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Touhy Avenue West
8
45.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Touhy Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.46 one way
$14.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.19 | $16.38 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.18 | $18.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.53 | $21.06 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.22
Tri-state Tollway
(37 mi)
$2.22
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.68 | $3.05 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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 Sunday
Local time
9:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 15 mph
27% chance
Live forecast
67°F
Burbank, IL
24 mi in
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
10 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 9m 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 is a turn-heavy local drive, meaning you'll encounter numerous intersections and changes in direction. While there's a 37-mile stretch on the Tri-State Tollway, the overall character is not that of a high-speed interstate cruise due to the significant share of local roads. The highway share is 0%, emphasizing that this is more of a surface street navigation challenge than a freeway run. The route's personality shifts as you move between the tollway and the local streets, requiring constant attention to your navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 7.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 7.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.6 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 South Chicago Heights, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue West along the way.
Touhy Avenue West
45.3 mi in
|
~1h 4m
About the Cities
Starting in South Chicago Heights, IL
Full guide →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 1h 9m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m 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 37 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.22 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 Des Plaines, 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 7.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.6 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 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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