Origin
Crystal Lake, IL
Night in Crystal Lake on Thursday
Local time
9:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Crystal Lake, IL to Near North Side, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
46.8 mi
75 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Crystal Lake, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Near North Side, IL
Quang Vuong
Trip Overview
The drive from Crystal Lake, IL to Near North Side, IL covers 46.8 miles and takes about 1h 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Northwest Highway, Kennedy Expressway, State Route 22 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.2 miles on Northwest Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.32 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 46.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m 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 14m drive with frequent turns across 46.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Northwest Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 12.6 miles in near US 12 / Rand Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 12.6 miles (US 12 / Rand Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.5 miles (Palatine Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
12.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
US 12 / Rand Road
Turn right onto US 12 / Rand Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
21.5 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
Palatine Road
Turn left onto Palatine Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
25.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward US 45, IL 21: Milwaukee 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 US 45, IL 21: Milwaukee Avenue
5
34 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
44.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
Take the exit toward IL 64: North Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 48B
Toward IL 64: North Avenue
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Highway | 6.2 mi | 10m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| State Route 22 | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| North Rand Road | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| Rand Road | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Milwaukee Avenue | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Palatine Road | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 3.7 mi | 6m |
Longest stretch:
Northwest Highway
— 6.2 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Crystal Lake, IL and Near North Side, IL.
1
Start on East Crystal Lake Avenue
25 ft
·
4 sec
·
East Crystal Lake Avenue
2
Turn right onto South Main Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
3
Turn left onto US 14
6.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Northwest Highway
4
Turn left onto IL 22
4.9 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 22
5
Continue on IL 22
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
West Main Street
6
Turn right onto US 12
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Rand Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on US 12
4.5 mi
·
7 min
·
North Rand Road
8
Turn left onto Palatine Road
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Palatine Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
343 ft
·
9 sec
Toward US 45, IL 21: Milwaukee Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn straight onto East Palatine Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Palatine Road
11
Turn right onto US 45; IL 21
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Milwaukee Avenue
12
Continue on IL 21
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
13
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
15
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 94 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto I 94
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on I 90; I 94
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 48B
Toward IL 64: North Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
19
Turn left onto IL 64
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West North Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
20
Turn slight right onto North Clybourn Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Clybourn Avenue
21
Turn left onto West Division Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
West Division Street
Use the straight lane.
22
Turn right onto North Wells Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
North Wells Street
23
Arrive at destination
North Wells Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 23.4 mi from Crystal Lake, IL · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.4 miles from Crystal Lake, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Near North Side, IL
The final approach into Near North Side, 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
$7.32 one way
$14.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.03 | $16.07 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.01 | $18.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.33 | $20.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.25 |
| Efficient EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.7 | 0 | $6.55 | $3.00 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Near North Side, IL
Night in Near North Side on Thursday
Local time
9:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°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 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 14m 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 Crystal Lake, IL to Near North Side, IL covers 46.8 miles and takes about 1h 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Northwest Highway, Kennedy Expressway, State Route 22. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 23.4 miles from Crystal Lake, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.32 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 46.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 12.6 miles (US 12 / Rand Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.5 miles (Palatine Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Crystal Lake, IL to Near North Side, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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