Origin
Spring Grove, IL
Late night in Spring Grove on Tuesday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Spring Grove, 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
39m
Distance
25 mi
40 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Spring Grove, IL
Jill Burrow
Trip Overview
This straightforward 25-mile drive from Spring Grove, IL to Waukegan, IL takes about 39 minutes and is easily manageable as a single-day trip. You'll primarily be on US 12 and Belvidere Road, with a relatively low highway share of 26%. The estimated fuel cost for this short journey is a budget-friendly $4. Given its brief duration and local road focus, this route offers a flexible option for a quick local excursion within the Midwest region. You won't need to worry about overnight stays, making it perfect for a spontaneous outing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 12 | 6.6 mi | 7m |
| Belvidere Road | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| West Belvidere Road | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Big Hollow Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Main Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Round Lake Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Railroad Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 12
— 6.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Spring Grove, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on V43
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Blivin Street
2
Turn left onto US 12
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
US 12
3
Turn left onto IL 134
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Big Hollow Road
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on IL 134
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Long Lake Road
5
Continue on IL 134
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Round Lake Road
6
Continue on IL 134
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
7
Continue on IL 134
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Main Street
8
Turn left onto IL 120
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
West Belvidere Road
9
Continue on IL 120
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Belvidere Road
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
11
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
13
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 24.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 12
Turn left onto US 12
Navigation decision point
6
7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
IL 134 / Big Hollow Road
Turn left onto IL 134 / Big Hollow Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
12.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
IL 120 / West Belvidere Road
Turn left onto IL 120 / West Belvidere Road
Navigation decision point
5
24.1 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
24.5 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
South Jackson Street
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.91 one way
$7.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.81 | $9.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.52 | $11.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Tuesday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Widespread Fog
SE 0 to 5 mph
0% chance
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
17 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
39m 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?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this trip, with a highway share of only 26%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.6 miles on US 12. This means you'll be navigating a series of local roads, including Belvidere Road and West Belvidere Road, rather than a continuous highway. The character of the drive will likely involve more frequent turns and changes in speed as you move through communities. Be prepared for a less predictable pace compared to a pure interstate journey.
Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.6 mi on US 12.
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 around 0.5 miles in near US 12.
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 39m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (IL 134 / Big Hollow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles (IL 120 / West Belvidere Road): Navigation decision point.
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 39m. Total distance: 25 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.6 miles on US 12. 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: at 0.5 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (IL 134 / Big Hollow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles (IL 120 / West Belvidere Road): Navigation decision point.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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