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Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

54m

Distance

39.1 mi

63 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m

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

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Des Plaines, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Harvey, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, IL covers 39.1 miles and takes about 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Des Plaines River Road, I 294 South, Tri-State Tollway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.11 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 39.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m 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 54m drive with frequent turns across 39.1 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.
South Des Plaines River Road 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 Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, IL is easy. At 54m 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 Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Des Plaines River Road
I 294 South
Tri-State Tollway
Mile-Long Bridge
IL 83
West 147th Street
Wood Street
West 154th Street

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: South Des Plaines River Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Harvey, 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
3

Take the ramp slight right toward I 294 South: Indiana

0.4 mi · 55 sec · I 294 South: Indiana
4

Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway

11 mi · 14 min · Tri-State Tollway
5

Keep slight left to continue on Tri-State Tollway

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
6

Keep slight right to continue on Tri-State Tollway

3.5 mi · 4 min · Tri-State Tollway
7

Continue on Mile-Long Bridge

0.9 mi · 1 min · Mile-Long Bridge
8

Continue on Tri-State Tollway

12 mi · 15 min · Tri-State Tollway
9

Take the exit slight right toward IL 83: 147th Street, Sibley Boulevard

0.5 mi · 1 min · IL 83: 147th Street, Sibley Boulevard
10

Turn left onto West 147th Street

1.7 mi · 3 min · West 147th Street
11

Turn right onto Wood Street

0.9 mi · 1 min · Wood Street
12

Turn left onto West 154th Street

0.7 mi · 2 min · West 154th Street
13

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 19.6 mi from Des Plaines, IL · 27m into the drive

village in Downers Grove, Lisle, and York Townships, DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Downers Grove, IL

20 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

Chicago Heights, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downers Grove, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.6 miles from Des Plaines, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Harvey, IL

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Harvey, 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

$6.11 one way

$12.23 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.71 $13.42
premium $4.89 $7.52 $15.05
diesel $5.61 $8.63 $17.27

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.7 0 $4.11 $1.88
Efficient EV 9.8 0 $3.42 $1.56
EV Truck/SUV 15.6 0 $5.47 $2.50

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Des Plaines, IL

Morning in Des Plaines on Friday

Local time

11:42 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Harvey, IL

Morning in Harvey on Friday

Local time

11:42 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

54m 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 Harvey, IL covers 39.1 miles and takes about 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are South Des Plaines River Road, I 294 South, Tri-State Tollway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 19.6 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 $6.11 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 Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, IL is easy. At 54m 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 Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Des Plaines, IL to Harvey, 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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