Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Saturday
Local time
9:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Clarendon Hills, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
19.7 mi
32 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 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Clarendon Hills, IL
Mike Tyurin
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Clarendon Hills, IL covers 19.7 miles and takes about 31m 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, South Des Plaines River Road, East Ogden Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.9 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.08 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
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).
Top landmarks
- • McDonald's #1 Store Museum — former McDonald's spot
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 31m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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 31m drive with frequent turns across 19.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 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 13.9 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Des Plaines River 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 19.7 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Des Plaines River Road
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
13.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
16.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward US 34 West: Ogden Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 27B
Toward US 34 West: Ogden Avenue
4
18.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
West Chicago Avenue
Turn right onto West Chicago Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 13.9 mi | 17m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| East Ogden Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Chicago Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Monroe Street | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| North Prospect Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 13.9 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Clarendon Hills, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 294 South: Indiana
4
Merge onto I 294
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 27B
Toward US 34 West: Ogden Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto US 34
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Ogden Avenue
8
Turn left onto North Monroe Street
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
North Monroe Street
9
Turn right onto West Chicago Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Chicago Avenue
10
Turn left onto North Prospect Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Prospect Avenue
11
Arrive at destination
North Prospect Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.08 one way
$6.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.38 | $6.76 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.79 | $7.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.35 | $8.70 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.83
Tri-state Tollway
(13.9 mi)
$0.83
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: 6.9 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 | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
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
Clarendon Hills, IL
Morning in Clarendon Hills on Saturday
Local time
9:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°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
18 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
31m 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 Clarendon Hills, IL covers 19.7 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, South Des Plaines River Road, East Ogden Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.8 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 $3.08 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 19.7 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.1 miles (South Des Plaines River Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Des Plaines, IL to Clarendon Hills, 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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