Origin
West Chicago, IL
Afternoon in West Chicago on Friday
Local time
4:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Chicago, IL to Des Plaines, 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
46m
Distance
25.3 mi
41 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Chicago, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
West Chicago, IL to Des Plaines, IL is 25.3 miles and takes about 46m via East Washington Street, Geneva Road, and South Schmale Road, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Illinois. It's a straightforward drive that mostly uses surface roads, making it ideal for a quick local excursion or a simple transfer between nearby towns. You won't encounter major highway driving, so expect a more relaxed pace as you navigate local streets.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva Road | 4.2 mi | 8m |
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 4 mi | 4m |
| East North Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| East Oakton Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| I 290 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| South Arlington Heights Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Oakton Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| South Schmale Road | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Geneva Road
— 4.2 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Chicago, IL and Des Plaines, 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
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 4
Toward IL 53 South: Biesterfield Road
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto IL 53
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Biesterfield Road
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto South Arlington Heights Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Arlington Heights Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto Oakton Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Oakton Street
14
Continue on IL 83
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Oakton Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on West Oakton Street
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
West Oakton Street
16
Continue on West Oakton Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Oakton Street
17
Continue on East Oakton Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
18
Turn left onto US 12; US 45
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Lee Street
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto East Algonquin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Algonquin Road
20
Turn left onto White Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
White Street
21
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
262 ft
·
11 sec
·
Henry Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.5 — 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
7
16.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward IL 53 South: Biesterfield Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4
Toward IL 53 South: Biesterfield Road
6
16.5 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
IL 53 / Biesterfield Road
Turn right onto IL 53 / Biesterfield Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.92 one way
$7.84 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $4.30 | $8.60 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.91 | $9.82 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.58 | $11.15 |
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: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.21 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.21 | $1.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
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
Des Plaines, IL
Afternoon in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
4:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°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
2 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
46m 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?
This route is entirely on surface roads, meaning you'll be driving at local speeds for the entire 25.3 miles. There's no highway driving component to this trip. You can expect to navigate through typical suburban and local traffic patterns for the full 46-minute duration. Keep an eye out for frequent intersections and traffic signals as you make your way.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.2 mi on Geneva Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 25.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
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.
About the Cities
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
Top landmarks
- • McDonald's #1 Store Museum — former McDonald's spot
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 46m. Total distance: 25.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.2 miles on Geneva Road. 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 Des Plaines, 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. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Des Plaines, 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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