The drive from Aurora, IL to West Ridge, IL covers 47.7 miles and takes about 1h 9m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Tri-State Tollway, East Touhy Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.6 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 9m drive with frequent turns across 47.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 22.6 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 Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.7 miles you will encounter 15 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 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 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
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
36.3 mi into trip|~48m in
Take the exit toward Touhy Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
8
37 mi into trip|~50m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Touhy Avenue East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 42A
Toward Touhy Avenue East
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 West Ridge, IL, road signs point toward Dekalb-Iowa, Rockford, Milwaukee and Touhy Avenue East.
Dekalb-Iowa
2.6 mi in|~4m
Rockford
25.6 mi in|~33m
Milwaukee
26.2 mi in|~35m
Touhy Avenue East
37 mi in|~50m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
22.6 mi
28m
Tri-State Tollway
9.9 mi
13m
East Touhy Avenue
3.9 mi
7m
West Peterson Avenue
3.2 mi
5m
North Caldwell Avenue
2.5 mi
3m
North Lake Street
2.2 mi
4m
North Western Avenue
0.6 mi
1m
South Lincolnway Street
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 22.6 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and West Ridge, 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-IowaUse the left lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·18 sec
Toward I 88 East: ChicagoUse 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 139Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, RockfordUse 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
9.9 mi·13 min·Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi·15 sec
Exit 42 A-BToward Touhy AvenueUse the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 42 A-BToward Touhy Avenue
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·42 sec
Exit 42AToward Touhy Avenue EastUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
3.9 mi·7 min·East Touhy Avenue
16
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi·3 min·North Caldwell Avenue
17
Continue on North Caldwell Avenue
0.2 mi·13 sec·North Caldwell Avenue
18
Continue on US 14
3.2 mi·5 min·West Peterson Avenue
19
Turn left onto North Western Avenue
0.6 mi·1 min·North Western Avenue
Use the left lane.
20
Turn left onto West Arthur Avenue
0.2 mi·38 sec·West Arthur Avenue
21
Turn right
92 ft·6 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 23.9 mi from Aurora, IL
· 31m into the drive
The midpoint is around 23.9 miles from Aurora, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in West Ridge, IL
The final approach into West Ridge, 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
$7.46 one way
$14.91 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg17 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$8.19
$16.38
premium
$4.89
$9.18
$18.36
diesel
$5.61
$10.53
$21.06
Estimated Tolls: $1.95
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(22.6 mi)$1.35
Tri-state Tollway
(9.9 mi)$0.60
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
14.3
0
$5.01
$2.29
Efficient EV
11.9
0
$4.17
$1.91
EV Truck/SUV
19.1
0
$6.68
$3.05
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Evening
in Aurora on Friday
Local time
5:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
WNW 10 to 15 mph36% chanceLive 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
West Ridge, IL
Evening
in West Ridge on Friday
Local time
5:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
73°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
2 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
1h 9m 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 West Ridge, IL covers 47.7 miles and takes about 1h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Tri-State Tollway, East Touhy Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 23.9 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 $7.46 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 47.7 miles you will encounter 15 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 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Aurora, IL and West Ridge, IL, road signs point toward Dekalb-Iowa, Rockford, Milwaukee and Touhy Avenue East.
