Origin
West Chicago, IL
Late night in West Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Chicago, IL to Arlington Heights, 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
40m
Distance
25 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Chicago, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Arlington Heights, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between West Chicago and Arlington Heights is a straightforward 27.1-mile journey across the Illinois suburbs. You should budget about 40 minutes for this trip, which is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. With fuel costs estimated at $4, it remains a very affordable local commute. Since both locations are situated within the Midwest, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the drive. Because the trip is short and efficient, there is no need to worry about overnight accommodations. Relying on local roads rather than major interstates makes this a practical choice for those who prefer suburban navigation over heavy highway traffic.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 290 | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Geneva Road | 4.2 mi | 8m |
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 4 mi | 4m |
| East North Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| IL 53 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Euclid Avenue | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| South Schmale Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| East Washington Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 290
— 5.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Chicago, IL and Arlington Heights, IL.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
49 ft
·
5 sec
3
Turn right onto East Washington Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Washington Street
4
Continue on Geneva Road
4.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Geneva Road
5
Turn left onto South Schmale Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Schmale Road
6
Turn right onto IL 64
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
East North Avenue
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 355
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
9
Merge onto I 290
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward East Euclid Avenue, Third District, Circuit Court
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn slight right onto Euclid Avenue
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Euclid Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
13
Arrive at destination
East Euclid Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
6.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
IL 64 / East North Avenue
Turn right onto IL 64 / East North Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
9.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Turn left toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
6
19.4 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
22.2 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward East Euclid Avenue, Third District, Circuit Court
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward East Euclid Avenue, Third District, Circ...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.91 one way
$7.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.81 | $9.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.52 | $11.04 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.28
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(4 mi)
$0.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Arlington Heights, IL
Late night in Arlington Heights on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°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
40m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that requires your full attention behind the wheel. You will navigate via East Washington Street, Geneva Road, and South Schmale Road, as this route maintains a 0% highway share. Because you are avoiding major interstates, there are no long, monotonous stretches; in fact, the longest segment on East Washington Street is negligible. This creates a stop-and-start rhythm that feels distinctly different from a high-speed interstate haul. You will find that the road profile remains consistent, focusing on local suburban transit rather than long-range cruising.
33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on I 290.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 early in the drive.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 25 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (IL 64 / East North Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from West Chicago, IL to Arlington Heights, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Third District along the way.
Third District
22.2 mi in
|
~34m
About the Cities
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 40m. Total distance: 25 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (33%). 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 5.6 miles on I 290. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.28 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Arlington Heights, 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (IL 64 / East North Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles: 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Arlington Heights, IL
More trips to Arlington Heights, IL
Explore more options from West Chicago, IL or browse trips ending in Arlington Heights, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.