Origin
Clarendon Hills, IL
Morning in Clarendon Hills on Saturday
Local time
6:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clarendon Hills, 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
32m
Distance
20.2 mi
33 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 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clarendon Hills, IL
Mike Tyurin
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 20.2 miles and takes about 32m 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, East Ogden Avenue, South Des Plaines River Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.6 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.16 one way before food or hotel costs.
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 32m. Total distance: 20.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m 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 32m drive with frequent turns across 20.2 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 13.6 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 5.4 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 20.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.4 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
5.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.2 mi into trip
|
~26m 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
6
17.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Touhy Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
7
17.8 mi into trip
|
~27m 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
17.9 mi into trip
|
~28m 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 Clarendon Hills, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue West along the way.
Touhy Avenue West
17.8 mi in
|
~27m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 13.6 mi | 17m |
| East Ogden Avenue | 2 mi | 4m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Coe Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Prospect Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Chicago Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Touhy Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 13.6 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarendon Hills, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on North Prospect Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Prospect Avenue
2
At end of road, turn right onto West Chicago Avenue
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
West Chicago Avenue
3
Turn left onto Coe Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Coe Road
4
Turn right onto US 34
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
East Ogden Avenue
5
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
6
Merge onto I 294
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 42B
Toward Touhy Avenue West
Use the right lane.
12
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
325 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Touhy Avenue
13
Turn slight right
339 ft
·
9 sec
14
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
15
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.16 one way
$6.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.47 | $6.93 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.89 | $7.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.46 | $8.92 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.81
Tri-state Tollway
(13.6 mi)
$0.81
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: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.77 | $0.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.29 |
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
Morning in Des Plaines on Saturday
Local time
6:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
WSW 15 to 20 mph
71% chance
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
25 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
32m 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 Clarendon Hills, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 20.2 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, East Ogden Avenue, 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 10.1 miles from Clarendon Hills, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.16 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 10 decision points packed into just 20.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.4 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
On the drive from Clarendon Hills, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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