Origin
Waukegan, IL
Late night in Waukegan on Friday
Local time
4:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waukegan, IL to Mundelein, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
14.2 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waukegan, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Mundelein, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Waukegan to Mundelein is 14.2 miles and takes about 24 minutes via Belvidere Road and US 45, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically Illinois, making it a convenient local trip. The drive is mostly on surface roads with some highway stretches, offering a practical commute rather than a scenic escape. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for a quick errand or connecting two nearby towns without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Belvidere Road | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| US 45 | 5.3 mi | 9m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| North Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glen Rock Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Lake Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Belvidere Road
— 6.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukegan, IL and Mundelein, 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
Turn left onto US 45
5.3 mi
·
9 min
·
US 45
Use the left lane.
6
Arrive at destination
US 45
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 8.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Glen Rock Avenue
Turn right onto Glen Rock Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Belvidere Street
Turn right onto Belvidere Street
Navigation decision point
4
8.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 45
Turn left onto US 45
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.20 one way
$4.40 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $2.41 | $4.83 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.76 | $5.51 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $3.13 | $6.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.24 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Mundelein, IL
Late night in Mundelein on Friday
Local time
4:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°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
16 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
24m 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 37% of this 14.2-mile drive is on highways. You'll experience a mixed profile, transitioning from highway segments to surface streets. The longest continuous stretch without a turn is 6.3 miles on Belvidere Road. Expect to encounter more frequent intersections and traffic signals once you leave the more direct highway portions.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
6 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.3 mi on Belvidere Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Glen Rock Avenue.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Waukegan, IL to Mundelein, IL is easy. At 24m with 37% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Glen Rock Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Belvidere Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles (US 45): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
812 ft
653 ft
Total Climb
192 ft
Total Descent
109 ft
Highest Point
812 ft
~9.1 mi in
Elevation Range
159 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Waukegan, IL
Full guide →Founded 1859
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
Arriving in Mundelein, IL
Full guide →Founded 1865
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 24m. Total distance: 14.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.3 miles on Belvidere 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 0.5 miles (Glen Rock Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Belvidere Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles (US 45): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mundelein, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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