Origin
Aurora, IL
Morning in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
6:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
35.6 mi
57 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elmwood Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL covers 35.6 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Lake Street, South Lincolnway Street, I 88 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.57 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.
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 53m. Total distance: 35.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 53m drive with frequent turns across 35.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Lake Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is easy. At 53m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Lake Street | — | — |
| South Lincolnway Street | — | — |
| I 88 West | — | — |
| I 88 East | — | — |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | — | — |
| Eisenhower Expressway | — | — |
| IL 171 | — | — |
| Bataan Drive | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
North Lake Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and Elmwood Park, IL.
1
Start on West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
2
Turn left onto North Lake Street
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Lake Street
3
Continue on South Lincolnway Street
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
4
Take the ramp left toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
387 ft
·
10 sec
·
I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
5
Keep slight right to continue on I 88 East: Chicago
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
I 88 East: Chicago
6
Continue on I 88 East: Chicago
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 88 East: Chicago
7
Merge slight left onto Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
18 mi
·
22 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
8
Keep slight right to continue on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
9
Merge slight right onto Eisenhower Expressway
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
10
Take the exit slight right toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
IL 171: 1st Avenue
11
Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive
381 ft
·
18 sec
·
Bataan Drive
12
Turn left onto South 1st Avenue
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South 1st Avenue
13
Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West Fullerton Avenue
14
Turn right onto North 73rd Court
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
North 73rd Court
15
Turn left onto West Belden Avenue
161 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
16
Turn right
187 ft
·
14 sec
17
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.8 mi from Aurora, IL · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.8 miles from Aurora, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Elmwood Park, IL if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.57 one way
$11.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.11 | $12.22 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.85 | $13.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.86 | $15.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.98 | $2.28 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Elmwood Park, IL
Morning in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
6:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°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
20 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
53m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL covers 35.6 miles and takes about 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Lake Street, South Lincolnway Street, I 88 West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.8 miles from Aurora, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.57 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
The drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is easy. At 53m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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