Origin
Winnetka, IL
Afternoon in Winnetka on Sunday
Local time
12:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Winnetka, IL to Schaumburg, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
23.8 mi
38 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Winnetka, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Schaumburg, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Winnetka, IL to Schaumburg, IL covers 23.8 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Willow Road, Palatine Road, IL 53 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.4 miles on Willow Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Willow Road | 7.4 mi | 13m |
| Palatine Road | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| IL 53 | 5.4 mi | 7m |
| East Higgins Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Higgins Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Roselle Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Locust Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Pine Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Willow Road
— 7.4 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Winnetka, IL and Schaumburg, 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
7.4 mi
·
13 min
·
Willow Road
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on Palatine Road
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Palatine Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward IL 53 South
6
Merge onto IL 53
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
IL 53
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 1B
Toward IL 72: Higgins Road
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn straight onto West Frontage Road
411 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Frontage Road
10
Turn right onto IL 72
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East Higgins Road
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on IL 72
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Higgins Road
12
Turn left onto North Roselle Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Roselle Road
13
Turn right onto West Thacker Street
0.1 mi
·
36 sec
·
West Thacker Street
14
Turn left onto North Pleasant Drive
426 ft
·
18 sec
·
North Pleasant Drive
15
Arrive at destination
North Pleasant Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 20.1 — 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
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Willow Road
At end of road, turn right onto Willow Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
14.7 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
IL 53
Merge onto IL 53
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53 toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
7
20.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward IL 72: Higgins Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1B
Toward IL 72: Higgins Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.72 one way
$7.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.58 | $9.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
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
Schaumburg, IL
Afternoon in Schaumburg on Sunday
Local time
12:27 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
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?
23.8 mi in 40m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.4 mi on Willow 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 around 0.3 miles in near Locust Road.
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 9 decision points packed into just 23.8 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: at 0.3 miles (Locust Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Willow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.7 miles (IL 53): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Schaumburg, IL
Full guide →Schaumburg is a city in Chicagoland, best known for its ever popular Woodfield Mall, the largest mall in Illinois. Its name is derived from a place in Germany.
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: 23.8 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.4 miles on Willow Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Schaumburg, 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 0.3 miles (Locust Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Willow Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.7 miles (IL 53): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Schaumburg, 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.
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