Origin
Winnetka, IL
Afternoon in Winnetka on Sunday
Local time
12:26 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Winnetka, 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
24m
Distance
13.1 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Winnetka, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 13.1-mile drive from Winnetka, IL to Des Plaines, IL is a quick 24-minute trip that stays entirely within the Midwest region. It's an ideal candidate for a single-day adventure, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate using Golf Road, Willow Road, and Waukegan Road, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this short journey is around $2, making it a very budget-friendly option. The overall feel is that of a local, turn-heavy drive, perfect for a short excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Golf Road | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| Willow Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| Waukegan Road | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Wagner Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| North Des Plaines River Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Lake Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Locust Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Pine Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Golf Road
— 4.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Winnetka, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on Pine Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Pine Street
2
Turn left onto Locust Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Locust Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto Willow Road
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Willow Road
4
Turn left onto Wagner Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Wagner Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto East Lake Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Lake Avenue
6
Turn left onto IL 43
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Waukegan Road
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto IL 58
4.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Golf Road
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto US 45
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Des Plaines River Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
10
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 11.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Locust Road
Turn left onto Locust Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Willow Road
At end of road, turn right onto Willow Road
Navigation decision point
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Wagner Road
Turn left onto Wagner Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
IL 58 / Golf Road
Turn right onto IL 58 / Golf Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
US 45 / North Des Plaines River Road
Turn left onto US 45 / North Des Plaines River Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.05 one way
$4.10 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.25 | $4.50 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.52 | $5.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.89 | $5.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.38 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
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
Des Plaines, IL
Afternoon in Des Plaines on Sunday
Local time
12:26 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
19 degrees cooler 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 13.1-mile route, as indicated by its 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.6 miles along Golf Road. This means you'll be making frequent turns and navigating surface streets for most of your journey. The character of the drive is consistent, focusing on local roads rather than open highway cruising. You'll experience a steady pace of suburban travel with numerous intersections.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.6 mi on Golf Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Locust Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 13.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.3 miles (Locust Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Willow Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (Wagner Road): 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 24m. Total distance: 13.1 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 (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.6 miles on Golf 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 0.3 miles (Locust Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Willow Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (Wagner Road): 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Des Plaines, IL
More trips to Des Plaines, IL
Explore more options from Winnetka, IL or browse trips ending in Des Plaines, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.