Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Afternoon in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
1:31 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Albany Park, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
10.1 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Albany Park, IL
Willian Justen de Vasconcellos
Trip Overview
This short 10.1-mile drive from Des Plaines, IL, to Albany Park, IL, is easily managed within a single day, taking approximately 19 minutes. With no highway driving involved, expect a local feel throughout your journey. The estimated fuel cost is around $2, making it an economical trip. This route is perfect for a quick local hop within the Midwest region, offering a straightforward connection between two Illinois communities. It's an ideal option if you're looking for a brief excursion without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 10.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m 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 with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Get ready for a 'turn-heavy local drive' on this route, with 0% highway share. You'll navigate through South Northwest Highway, West Lawrence Avenue, and Busse Highway, experiencing a distinctly urban and suburban feel. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 4.1 miles on South Northwest Highway, so be prepared for frequent turns and traffic signals. This isn't a route for settling into a high-speed cruise; rather, it’s about engaging with local road networks and managing city driving.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Northwest Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 4.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Des Plaines River Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (Busse Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Des Plaines River Road
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Oakton Street
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Busse Highway
Turn right onto Busse Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
7.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
North Milwaukee Avenue
Turn right onto North Milwaukee Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
8.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
West Lawrence Avenue
Turn left onto West Lawrence Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Northwest Highway | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| West Lawrence Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Northwest Highway
— 4.1 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Albany Park, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
3
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
Use the left lane.
5
Turn straight onto West Touhy Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Touhy Avenue
6
Turn slight right onto South Northwest Highway
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
South Northwest Highway
7
Continue on North Northwest Highway
136 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Northwest Highway
8
Turn right onto North Milwaukee Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
9
Turn left onto West Lawrence Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
West Lawrence Avenue
10
Arrive at destination
West Lawrence Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.58 one way
$3.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.73 | $3.47 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.94 | $3.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.23 | $4.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3 | 0 | $1.06 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.88 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.65 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Albany Park, IL
Afternoon in Albany Park on Friday
Local time
1:31 PM
CDT
Current temp
46°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
5 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
19m 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 Des Plaines, IL to Albany Park, IL covers 10.1 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Northwest Highway, West Lawrence Avenue, Busse Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.1 miles from Des Plaines, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.58 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 straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (Busse Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Des Plaines, IL to Albany Park, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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