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Trip from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

47.2 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m

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

Downtown Clarendon Hills, IL, IL

Clarendon Hills, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL covers 47.2 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on West Chicago Avenue, Coe Road, East Ogden Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.38 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 47.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 56m drive with frequent turns across 47.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Chicago Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL is easy. At 56m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West Chicago Avenue
Coe Road
East Ogden Avenue
I 294
Tri-State Tollway
IL 120 East
Belvidere Road
Belvidere Street

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: West Chicago Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clarendon Hills, IL and Waukegan, IL.

1

Start on North Prospect Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Prospect Avenue
2

At the end of the road, turn right onto West Chicago Avenue

0.4 mi · 42 sec · West Chicago Avenue
3

Turn left onto Coe Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Coe Road
4

Turn right onto East Ogden Avenue

2.0 mi · 4 min · East Ogden Avenue
5

Turn left onto I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin

0.3 mi · 34 sec · I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin
6

Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway

1.9 mi · 2 min · Tri-State Tollway
7

Keep slight left to continue on Tri-State Tollway

37 mi · 45 min · Tri-State Tollway
8

Take the exit slight right toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road

0.4 mi · 47 sec · IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
9

Turn straight onto Belvidere Road

1.9 mi · 2 min · Belvidere Road
10

Continue on Belvidere Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Street
11

Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Glen Rock Avenue
12

Turn left onto South Jackson Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Jackson Street
13

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23.6 mi from Clarendon Hills, IL · 28m into the drive

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Des Plaines, IL

24 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

Lombard, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Des Plaines, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.6 miles from Clarendon Hills, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Waukegan, IL

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Waukegan, IL if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.38 one way

$14.76 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.10 $16.20
premium $4.89 $9.08 $18.17
diesel $5.61 $10.42 $20.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 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 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.61 $3.02

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

Clarendon Hills, IL

Late night in Clarendon Hills on Saturday

Local time

3:44 AM

CDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Waukegan, IL

Late night in Waukegan on Saturday

Local time

3:44 AM

CDT

Current temp

62°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

7 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

56m 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 Waukegan, IL covers 47.2 miles and takes about 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are West Chicago Avenue, Coe Road, East Ogden Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23.6 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 $7.38 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.

The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL is easy. At 56m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Clarendon Hills, IL to Waukegan, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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 EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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