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Trip from Aurora, IL to Knollwood, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 18m

Distance

59.6 mi

96 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 13m ★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 15m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
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city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Aurora, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Knollwood, IL, IL

Knollwood, IL

Stéphane Tendon

Trip Overview

The drive from Aurora, IL to Knollwood, IL covers 59.6 miles and takes about 1h 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, North Lake Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 30.7 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.32 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 18m. Total distance: 59.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 18m drive with frequent turns across 59.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Tri-State Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 30.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.6 miles you will encounter 12 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 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.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

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.
8
25.6 mi into trip | ~33m 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
57.1 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Take the exit toward IL 176: Rockland Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 16 Toward IL 176: Rockland Road

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Aurora, IL and Knollwood, IL, road signs point toward Rockford and Milwaukee.

Rockford

25.6 mi in | ~33m

Milwaukee

26.2 mi in | ~35m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 30.7 mi 37m
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 22.6 mi 28m
North Lake Street 2.2 mi 4m
Rockland Road 1.6 mi 3m
North Waukegan Road 0.5 mi <1m
South Lincolnway Street 0.4 mi <1m
Plaister Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
West Galena Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 30.7 mi, about 37m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and Knollwood, 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

4.7 mi · 5 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

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.
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee
11

Merge onto I 294

31 mi · 37 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 16 Toward IL 176: Rockland Road Use the right lane.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto IL 176

1.6 mi · 3 min · Rockland Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn left onto IL 43

0.5 mi · 48 sec · North Waukegan Road
15

Turn left onto Plaister Avenue

0.1 mi · 35 sec · Plaister Avenue
16

Arrive at destination

3 ft · 0 sec · Plaister Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 29.8 mi from Aurora, IL · 39m into the drive

city in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Elmhurst, IL

30 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

Lisle, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Elmhurst, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.8 miles from Aurora, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Knollwood, IL

The final approach into Knollwood, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.32 one way

$18.64 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $10.23 $20.46
premium $4.89 $11.47 $22.94
diesel $5.61 $13.16 $26.32

Estimated Tolls: $3.19

Tri-state Tollway (30.7 mi) $1.84
Reagan Memorial Tollway (22.6 mi) $1.35

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$3

Total

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.9 0 $6.26 $2.86
Efficient EV 14.9 0 $5.22 $2.38
EV Truck/SUV 23.8 0 $8.34 $3.81

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Aurora, IL

Morning in Aurora on Friday

Local time

11:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

WNW 10 to 15 mph 36% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Knollwood, IL

Morning in Knollwood on Friday

Local time

11:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

69°F

Elmhurst, IL

30 mi in

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

4 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

1h 18m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Aurora, IL to Knollwood, IL covers 59.6 miles and takes about 1h 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, North Lake Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 29.8 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 $9.32 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.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.6 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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.

Between Aurora, IL and Knollwood, IL, road signs point toward Rockford and Milwaukee.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

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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