Waukegan to Carpentersville is 36.5 miles and takes about 1 hour via IL 59, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. You'll spend most of your time on main roads, making this a straightforward drive. It’s a good option if you need to get between these two towns without a lot of fuss, perfect for a quick errand or connecting to another longer trip.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
IL 59
7.8 mi
12m
Belvidere Road
6.3 mi
9m
Dundee Road
5.6 mi
8m
IL 176
5.4 mi
8m
Ivanhoe Road
3.7 mi
6m
Belvidere Street
1.6 mi
3m
New Sutton Road
1.6 mi
2m
South Kennedy Drive
1.1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
IL 59
— 7.8 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukegan, IL and Carpentersville, IL.
1
Start on North Jackson Street
0.5 mi·1 min·North Jackson Street
2
Turn right onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi·1 min·Glen Rock Avenue
3
Turn right onto Belvidere Street
1.6 mi·3 min·Belvidere Street
4
Continue on IL 120
6.3 mi·9 min·Belvidere Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on IL 120
1.0 mi·1 min·East Belvidere Road
6
Turn left onto South Atkinson Road
0.5 mi·58 sec·South Atkinson Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on IL 83
3.7 mi·6 min·Ivanhoe Road
8
Continue on Schank Avenue
0.2 mi·24 sec·Schank Avenue
9
Turn right onto IL 176
5.4 mi·8 min·IL 176
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto Barrington Road
0.5 mi·1 min·Barrington Road
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on IL 59
7.8 mi·12 min·IL 59
Use the right lane.
12
Turn slight right
284 ft·4 sec
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on IL 59
1.6 mi·2 min·New Sutton Road
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on IL 59; IL 68
1.4 mi·1 min·Dundee Road
15
Continue on IL 62; IL 68
0.3 mi·26 sec·Dundee Road
16
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 62; IL 68
4.0 mi·6 min·Dundee Road
17
Turn right onto IL 25
1.1 mi·2 min·South Kennedy Drive
18
Arrive at destination
IL 25
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 18.2 miles from Waukegan, 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 9.9 and 35.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
9.9 mi into trip|~16m in|South Atkinson Road
Turn left onto South Atkinson Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
14.4 mi into trip|~24m in|IL 176
Turn right onto IL 176
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
19.7 mi into trip|~33m in|Barrington Road
Turn left onto Barrington Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
31.3 mi into trip|~51m in|IL 62; IL 68 / Dundee Road
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 62; IL 68 / Dundee Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
35.3 mi into trip|~57m in|IL 25 / South Kennedy Drive
Turn right onto IL 25 / South Kennedy Drive
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.57 one way
$11.14 round trip
$3.88/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.27
$6.13
$12.27
premium
$4.81
$6.91
$13.81
diesel
$5.40
$7.76
$15.53
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11
0
$3.83
$1.75
Efficient EV
9.1
0
$3.19
$1.46
EV Truck/SUV
14.6
0
$5.11
$2.34
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 25, 2026
Origin
Waukegan, IL
Late night
in Waukegan on Sunday
Local time
4:32 AM
CDT
Current temp
55°F
Areas Of Fog then Mostly Sunny
NNE 15 mph24% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 10:19AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 10:19AM CDT until April 29 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Destination
Carpentersville, IL
Late night
in Carpentersville on Sunday
Local time
4:32 AM
CDT
Current temp
41°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
14 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
1h 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This 36.5-mile drive has a 36% highway share. You'll begin on surface roads like Belvidere Road, then transition to IL 59. The longest stretch on a single road is 7.8 miles on IL 59, which will feel more like a continuous highway segment. Expect to encounter more frequent exits and intersections as you get closer to Carpentersville.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on IL 59.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.9 miles in near South Atkinson Road.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 36.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 9.9 miles (South Atkinson Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles (IL 176): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.7 miles (Barrington Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Top landmarks
•Waukegan Public Library — library
•Waukegan Building — office building in Waukegan, Illinois, United States
•Hotel Waukegan — historic hotel in Waukegan, Illinois, USA
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 36.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on IL 59. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Carpentersville, 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 9.9 miles (South Atkinson Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles (IL 176): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.7 miles (Barrington Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Carpentersville, IL before heading back.
