Origin
Brookfield, IL
Late night in Brookfield on Saturday
Local time
5:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brookfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
19.6 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brookfield, IL
Quang Vuong
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Brookfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL is 19.6 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Tri-State Tollway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip entirely within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. Expect a local drive with a few turns, making it easily manageable for a quick transit. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion or a simple commute, requiring minimal planning beyond checking traffic conditions.
About the Cities
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
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 31m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you won't be on a monotonous interstate for the entire journey. While there's a significant stretch of 11.8 miles on the Tri-State Tollway, the overall profile suggests a dynamic driving experience with multiple intersections and road changes. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating local roads like Cermak Road and South Des Plaines River Road, interspersed with the tollway segment. Be prepared for frequent adjustments and an engaging, rather than purely high-speed, drive.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 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 11.8 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 0.3 miles in near Grand Boulevard.
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 13 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Grand Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 4.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Grand Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Grand Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
4.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
16.5 mi into trip
|
~25m 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
7
17.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Touhy Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Touhy Avenue West
8
17.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Touhy Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
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 Brookfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue West along the way.
Touhy Avenue West
17.2 mi in
|
~26m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 11.8 mi | 15m |
| Cermak Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| North La Grange Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Grand Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East 31st Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Maple Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 11.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brookfield, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on Grant Avenue
101 ft
·
9 sec
·
Grant Avenue
2
Turn left onto Maple Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Maple Avenue
3
Enter roundabout onto Grand Boulevard
232 ft
·
7 sec
·
Grand Boulevard
4
Continue on Grand Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Boulevard
5
Turn left onto East 31st Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East 31st Street
6
Turn right onto US 12; US 20; US 45
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North La Grange Road
7
Turn left onto Cermak Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Cermak Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
9
Merge onto I 294
181 ft
·
2 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the right lane.
15
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
325 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Touhy Avenue
16
Turn slight right
339 ft
·
9 sec
17
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
18
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.91 one way
$5.82 round trip
$3.77/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $3.28 | $6.56 |
| premium | $4.65 | $3.59 | $7.18 |
| diesel | $5.30 | $4.09 | $8.19 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.70
Tri-state Tollway
(11.8 mi)
$0.70
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Des Plaines, IL
Late night in Des Plaines on Saturday
Local time
5:20 AM
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
1 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
31m 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 Brookfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 19.6 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, Cermak Road, South Des Plaines River Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.8 miles from Brookfield, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.91 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 is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Grand Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 4.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Brookfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue West along the way.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Des Plaines, IL
More trips to Des Plaines, IL
Explore more options from Brookfield, IL or browse trips ending in Des Plaines, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.