Origin
Willowbrook, IL
Evening in Willowbrook on Sunday
Local time
5:32 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Willowbrook, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
22 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Willowbrook, IL
Pho Tomass
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Willowbrook to Des Plaines, you are looking at a quick 22-mile commute across the Illinois landscape. This journey typically takes about 28 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate local roads, including South Madison Street, 63rd Street, and Kingery Highway, throughout this Midwest drive. With a fuel cost estimate of just $3, it is an incredibly budget-friendly excursion. Because the route involves no formal stops, it is best approached as a straightforward, efficient drive between these two suburban locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 9.9 mi | 13m |
| Kingery Highway | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 2 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| 63rd Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Madison Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Touhy Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 9.9 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Willowbrook, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on Ridgemoor Drive
91 ft
·
6 sec
·
Ridgemoor Drive
2
Turn left onto South Madison Street
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Madison Street
3
Turn left onto 63rd Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
63rd Street
4
Turn right onto IL 83
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Kingery Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 88 East Toll: Chicago
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 139
Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee
9
Merge onto I 294
9.9 mi
·
13 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the right lane.
14
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
325 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Touhy Avenue
15
Turn slight right
339 ft
·
9 sec
16
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
17
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 5.6 and 19.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
5.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward I 88 East Toll: Chicago
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 88 East Toll: Chicago
8
8.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford
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.
Exit 139
Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rock...
7
18.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward Touhy Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
7
19.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Touhy Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Touhy Avenue West
8
19.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Touhy Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.44 one way
$6.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.23 | $8.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.86 | $9.71 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.72
Tri-state Tollway
(9.9 mi)
$0.60
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(2 mi)
$0.12
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Evening in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
5:32 PM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 15 mph
80% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 3:46AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 9:43PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
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
11 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
33m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will spend 0% of your time on highways, meaning you will navigate surface streets for the entire 22-mile duration. The longest uninterrupted stretch is on South Madison Street, which offers no significant breaks from the local road pattern. Because of the frequent turns, the character of the road remains consistent and technical rather than fast-paced. Navigating this path requires a steady hand and a willingness to manage suburban traffic patterns throughout the short 28-minute duration.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 around 5.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 22 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
Between Willowbrook, IL and Des Plaines, IL, road signs point toward Rockford, Milwaukee and Touhy Avenue West.
Rockford
8.2 mi in
|
~12m
Milwaukee
8.8 mi in
|
~13m
Touhy Avenue West
19.6 mi in
|
~28m
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 33m. Total distance: 22 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.72 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state 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: at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 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, 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 Des Plaines, IL
More from Willowbrook, IL
More trips to Des Plaines, IL
Explore more options from Willowbrook, IL or browse trips ending in Des Plaines, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.