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Trip from Vernon Hills, IL to Arlington Heights, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

20m

Distance

10.2 mi

16 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Vernon Hills, IL, IL

Vernon Hills, IL

Chris Flaten

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; suburb of Chicago, Illinois

Arlington Heights, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Vernon Hills to Arlington Heights is 10.2 miles and takes about 20 minutes via Arlington Heights Road and State Highway 83, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. Expect a mixed drive with a substantial portion on local roads, making it a convenient local hop rather than an extensive journey. It's ideal for a quick errand, a visit to a nearby town, or simply a change of scenery without committing to a long haul.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Arlington Heights Road 6 mi 12m
State Highway 83 2.3 mi 3m
Westmoreland Drive 0.8 mi 2m
IL RT 83 0.8 mi 1m
McHenry Road 0.3 mi <1m
East Euclid Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Oakwood Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Arlington Heights Road — 6 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Vernon Hills, IL and Arlington Heights, IL.

1

Start on Oakwood Road

35 ft · 3 sec · Oakwood Road
2

Turn right onto Westmoreland Drive

0.8 mi · 2 min · Westmoreland Drive
3

At end of road, turn left onto IL 83

0.8 mi · 1 min · IL RT 83
4

Continue on IL 83

2.3 mi · 3 min · State Highway 83
5

Continue on IL 83

0.3 mi · 29 sec · McHenry Road
6

Turn right onto Arlington Heights Road

6.0 mi · 12 min · Arlington Heights Road
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto East Euclid Avenue

48 ft · 1 sec · East Euclid Avenue
8

Arrive at destination

East Euclid Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

4 of 4

4 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Westmoreland Drive

Turn right onto Westmoreland Drive

Navigation decision point

3
0.8 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 83 / IL RT 83

At end of road, turn left onto IL 83 / IL RT 83

Navigation decision point

5
4.1 mi into trip | ~8m in | Arlington Heights Road

Turn right onto Arlington Heights Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
10.2 mi into trip | ~20m in | East Euclid Avenue

Turn right onto East Euclid Avenue

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.59 one way

$3.19 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.75 $3.50
premium $4.89 $1.96 $3.93
diesel $5.61 $2.25 $4.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.1 0 $1.07 $0.49
Efficient EV 2.6 0 $0.89 $0.41
EV Truck/SUV 4.1 0 $1.43 $0.65

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Vernon Hills, IL

Morning in Vernon Hills on Sunday

Local time

11:13 AM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 25 mph 24% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 5:21PM CDT until April 17 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued April 17 at 5:17PM CDT until April 17 at 6:15PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Arlington Heights, IL

Morning in Arlington Heights on Sunday

Local time

11:13 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°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

28 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

20m 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 drive offers a mixed experience, with about 30% of the route on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Arlington Heights Road, State Highway 83, and Westmoreland Drive. The longest uninterrupted segment spans 6 miles on Arlington Heights Road, providing a consistent pace. The road's character shifts between more developed areas and potentially less congested sections, offering variety as you make your way. It's not a monotonous grind, nor is it a purely scenic byway, but rather a practical connection between two points.

30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6 mi on Arlington Heights Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Westmoreland Drive.

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 20m drive. You will face about 4 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 (Westmoreland Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (IL 83 / IL RT 83): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (Arlington Heights Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 10.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (30%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6 miles on Arlington Heights 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: near the start (Westmoreland Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (IL 83 / IL RT 83): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (Arlington Heights Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arlington Heights, 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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