Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Late night in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
3:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Grand Boulevard, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
23.9 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Grand Boulevard, IL
İsmayıl Mürsəlov
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Grand Boulevard, IL covers 23.9 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Kennedy Expressway, Dan Ryan Expressway, North Caldwell Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.1 miles on Kennedy Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 38m highway drive covering 23.9 miles, with most of the trip on Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway. The longest continuous stretch is about 8.1 miles on Kennedy Expressway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Kennedy Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near East Oakton Street.
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 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Oakton Street
Turn left onto East Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 East
8
20.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Local) toward I 90, I 94
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 90, I 94
7
22.8 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward 43rd Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 56A
Toward 43rd Street
6
23 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
West 43rd Street
Turn left onto West 43rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Local) | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 8.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Grand Boulevard, 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
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
6
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 94 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 94
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Continue on I 90; I 94
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90; I 94
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Toward I 90, I 94
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 56A
Toward 43rd Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto West 43rd Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West 43rd Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
15
Arrive at destination
South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.74 one way
$7.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.10 | $8.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Grand Boulevard, IL
Late night in Grand Boulevard on Friday
Local time
3:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°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
13 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
38m 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 Grand Boulevard, IL covers 23.9 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kennedy Expressway, Dan Ryan Expressway, North Caldwell Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.9 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 $3.74 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 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Des Plaines, IL to Grand Boulevard, 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 and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Grand Boulevard, IL
Explore more options from Des Plaines, IL or browse trips ending in Grand Boulevard, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.