Origin
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waukegan, IL to Elmwood Park, 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
55m
Distance
37.6 mi
61 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmwood Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Waukegan, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is 37.6 miles and takes about 55m via Edens Expressway and Skokie Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, moving through the Midwest region. Expect a blend of expressway driving and surface roads as you navigate from your starting point to your destination. It's a straightforward trip, ideal for a single day with no need for overnight stays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13.1 mi | 16m |
| North Skokie Highway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| South Lewis Avenue | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| North Central Avenue | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| West Fullerton Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Grand Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.1 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukegan, IL and Elmwood Park, 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
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Belvidere Street
4
Turn left onto South Lewis Avenue
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
South Lewis Avenue
5
Turn right onto IL 137
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Buckley Road
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto US 41
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
North Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on US 41
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Skokie Valley Road
8
Continue on US 41
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 94; US 41
13 mi
·
16 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 43A
Toward Wilson Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue
90 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Wilson Avenue
12
Turn left onto IL 50
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Cicero Avenue
13
Turn right onto West Montrose Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Montrose Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto North Central Avenue
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
West Fullerton Avenue
16
Continue on West Grand Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West Grand Avenue
17
Turn left onto 73rd Avenue
361 ft
·
11 sec
·
73rd Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue
190 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Fullerton Avenue
19
Turn left onto North 73rd Court
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
North 73rd Court
20
Turn left onto West Belden Avenue
160 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
21
Turn right
186 ft
·
13 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 37.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.8 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 4.1 and 37.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
IL 137 / Buckley Road
Turn right onto IL 137 / Buckley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
31 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward Wilson Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43A
Toward Wilson Avenue
6
31.5 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
West Montrose Avenue
Turn right onto West Montrose Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
32.6 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
North Central Avenue
Turn left onto North Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
37.3 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
73rd Avenue
Turn left onto 73rd Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.88 one way
$11.76 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.45 | $12.91 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.24 | $14.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.30 | $16.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.26 | $2.41 |
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.
Destination
Elmwood Park, IL
Late night in Elmwood Park on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 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
4 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
55m 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?
About 35% of this 37.6-mile route is on highways, including a 13.1-mile stretch on the Edens Expressway. You'll transition from expressway to surface roads after the highway portion concludes. Be prepared for frequent exits and merging traffic as you navigate through urban and suburban areas.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.1 miles in near IL 137 / Buckley Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 37.6 miles you will encounter 16 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 4.1 miles (IL 137 / Buckley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 31 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.5 miles (West Montrose Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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.
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →Founded 1914
The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.
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 55m. Total distance: 37.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.1 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Elmwood Park, 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 4.1 miles (IL 137 / Buckley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 31 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.5 miles (West Montrose Avenue): 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 Elmwood Park, 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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