Origin
Aurora, IL
Afternoon in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
12:22 PM
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
Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is 35.6 miles and takes about 53 minutes via Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, South 1st Avenue, and Eisenhower Expressway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip connecting two points within Illinois. You'll primarily be on tollways and expressways, making for an efficient journey. Expect a relatively quick drive that's well within the capabilities of a single day, suitable for a quick local excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 23.8 mi | 29m |
| South 1st Avenue | 3.6 mi | 7m |
| Eisenhower Expressway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| North Lake Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| West Fullerton Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North 73rd Court | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Galena Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 23.8 mi, about 29m
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 IL 31
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Lake Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on South Lincolnway Street
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
4
Take the ramp
387 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
this road
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
7
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
18 mi
·
22 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 20
Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive
381 ft
·
17 sec
·
Bataan Drive
12
Turn left onto IL 171
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South 1st Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
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
160 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
16
Turn right
186 ft
·
13 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
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.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 30.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago...
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 88 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
6
20.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
30.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 20
Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
6
30.5 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
IL 171 / South 1st Avenue
Turn left onto IL 171 / South 1st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
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 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(23.8 mi)
$1.43
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
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
Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
12:22 PM
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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive' with a 10% highway share. While the longest uninterrupted stretch is 23.8 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, you'll also navigate significant portions on South 1st Avenue and the Eisenhower Expressway. The route offers a blend of faster highway travel and more involved local road navigation, requiring attention to turns and traffic signals. It's not a monotonous interstate cruise, but rather a more dynamic journey through varied road types.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.8 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 2.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 35.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
On the drive from Aurora, IL to Elmwood Park, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Dekalb-Iowa along the way.
Dekalb-Iowa
2.6 mi in
|
~4m
About the Cities
Starting in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
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.
Top landmarks
- • Aurora University — private university in Aurora, Illinois, U.S
- • Hotel Arthur — United States historic place
- • Graham Building — historic building in Aurora, Illinois
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →Founded 1914
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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.8 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.43 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan 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 Elmwood Park, 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 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Elmwood Park, IL before heading back.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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