Origin
Clarendon Hills, IL
Late night in Clarendon Hills on Saturday
Local time
5:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clarendon Hills, IL to Elgin, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
28.2 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clarendon Hills, IL
Mike Tyurin
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Elgin, IL covers 28.2 miles and takes about 47m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lake Street, Kingery Highway, West Lake Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.7 miles on Lake Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Elgin, IL
Full guide →Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
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 47m. Total distance: 28.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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 47m drive with frequent turns across 28.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Lake Street is the longest continuous segment at about 10.7 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 0.4 miles in near West Chicago Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 28.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Chicago Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (IL 83 / Kingery Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Chicago Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Chicago Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
1.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward IL 83 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward IL 83 North
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
IL 83 / Kingery Highway
Merge onto IL 83 / Kingery Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 290, US 20, IL 64 East: Chicago, Rockford, Lake Street, Grand Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 290, US 20, IL 64 East: Chicago, Rockf...
9
9.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 20, IL 64 East: Lake Street, Grand Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 20, IL 64 East: Lake Street, Grand Av...
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 Elgin, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Rockford along the way.
Rockford
9 mi in
|
~16m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Street | 10.7 mi | 17m |
| Kingery Highway | 7.2 mi | 11m |
| West Lake Street | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Villa Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Coe Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Prospect Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Chicago Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lake Street
— 10.7 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarendon Hills, IL and Elgin, 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
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East Ogden Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward IL 83 North
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto IL 83
7.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Kingery Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 290, US 20, IL 64 East: Chicago, Rockford, Lake Street, Grand Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 20, IL 64 East: Lake Street, Grand Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto US 20
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on US 20
5.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
11
Continue on US 20
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
12
Continue on US 20
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
West Lake Street
13
Continue on US 20
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
14
Turn slight left onto Villa Street
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Villa Street
Toward Villa Street
Use the slight left lane.
15
Turn left
311 ft
·
28 sec
16
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
17
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.19 one way
$8.37 round trip
$3.77/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $4.72 | $9.44 |
| premium | $4.65 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
| diesel | $5.30 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Elgin, IL
Late night in Elgin on Saturday
Local time
5:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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
19 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
47m 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 Clarendon Hills, IL to Elgin, IL covers 28.2 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lake Street, Kingery Highway, West Lake Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.1 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 $4.19 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 28.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Chicago Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (IL 83 / Kingery Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Elgin, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Rockford 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.
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