Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Hastings, IL
Phil Evenden
South Elgin, IL to Hastings, IL is 8 miles and takes about 14 minutes via McDonald Road and West Spring Street, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest. It's a quick hop, perfect for a same-day excursion when you don't have much time. You'll be sticking to surface roads for the entire 8 miles, so don't expect any highway cruising here.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald Road | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| West Spring Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Corron Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Randall Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Hopps Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Silver Glen Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Hastings Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West State Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between South Elgin, IL and Hastings, IL.
Start on South Center Street
Turn left onto East State Street
Continue on State Street Bridge
Continue on West State Street
Turn right onto IL 31
Turn left onto West Spring Street
Continue on Hopps Road
Turn left onto CR 34
Turn right onto McDonald Road
Turn left onto CR 80
Turn left onto CR 5
Turn right onto Hastings Drive
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto East State Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto IL 31 / North La Fox Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto West Spring Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto McDonald Road
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Hastings Drive
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$1.33 one way
$2.67 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.45 | $2.90 |
| premium | $5.26 | $1.66 | $3.31 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $1.95 | $3.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.84 | $0.38 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.70 | $0.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.12 | $0.51 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in South Elgin on Saturday
Local time
2:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Hastings on Saturday
Local time
2:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This 8-mile drive is entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 3.3 miles on McDonald Road. Expect to be navigating local streets and intersections for the duration of this trip. The profile is mostly surface roads, meaning you'll be at local speeds the entire way.
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 East State Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 14m drive. You will face about 7 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 (East State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IL 31 / North La Fox Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West Spring Street): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
225 ft
Total Descent
46 ft
Highest Point
886 ft
~8 mi in
Elevation Range
179 ft
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m 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.
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.
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