Origin
Tower Lake, IL
Morning in Tower Lake on Tuesday
Local time
9:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tower Lake, 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
35m
Distance
21.4 mi
34 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tower Lake, IL
椰椰 圆
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Tower Lake to Des Plaines is 21.4 miles and takes about 35 minutes via North Rand Road and Rand Road, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short Midwest drive stays within Illinois, offering a straightforward journey between two points. Expect a local road experience with frequent turns rather than an open highway cruise. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick trip or as part of a larger travel plan without requiring an overnight stay. It's a practical option for getting from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Rand Road | 6.6 mi | 11m |
| Rand Road | 6.6 mi | 8m |
| IL 59 | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| West Rand Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| State Route 22 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Tower Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Rand Road
— 6.6 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tower Lake, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on East Tower Drive
0.2 mi
·
57 sec
·
East Tower Drive
2
Turn straight onto North Gateway Drive
305 ft
·
15 sec
·
North Gateway Drive
3
Turn right onto Essex Drive
75 ft
·
5 sec
·
Essex Drive
4
Turn right onto IL 59
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
IL 59
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto IL 22
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 22
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on IL 22
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
West Main Street
7
Turn right onto US 12
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Rand Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 12
6.6 mi
·
11 min
·
North Rand Road
9
Continue on US 12
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West Rand Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on US 12
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Rand Road
11
Turn right onto US 12; US 45
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
12
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 21.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Essex Drive
Turn right onto Essex Drive
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 59
Turn right onto IL 59
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
IL 22 / State Route 22
Turn left onto IL 22 / State Route 22
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 12 / Rand Road
Turn right onto US 12 / Rand Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
21.3 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
Henry Avenue
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.35 one way
$6.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.67 | $7.35 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.12 | $8.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.72 | $9.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 57% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (57% 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 Tuesday
Local time
9:38 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
35m 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 as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be navigating through towns and communities rather than cruising on a highway. Only 20% of the drive involves highway travel, so anticipate more frequent intersections and changes in speed. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.6 miles on North Rand Road before needing to navigate. This segment of your trip will feel more like a suburban commute, requiring your attention for turns and traffic signals.
Only 20% 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 North Rand Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.3 miles in near Essex Drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 35m 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 0.3 miles (Essex Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IL 59): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (IL 22 / State Route 22): Lane positioning matters here.
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 35m. Total distance: 21.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (20%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.6 miles on North Rand Road. 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 0.3 miles (Essex Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IL 59): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (IL 22 / State Route 22): 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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