Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
6:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Kenwood, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
25 mi
40 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 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Kenwood, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Kenwood, IL covers 25 miles and takes about 40m 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 mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.1 miles on Kennedy Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.91 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 25 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Kenwood, IL covers 25 miles and takes about 40m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 18 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 route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 11 decision points packed into just 25 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): 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; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 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.
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
21.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward 35th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 55A
Toward 35th Street
7
22 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
West 35th Street
Turn left onto West 35th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
24.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
East 47th Street
Turn left onto East 47th 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 |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| South Cottage Grove Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| 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 Kenwood, 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
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Toward I 90, I 94
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 55A
Toward 35th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto South Wentworth Avenue
327 ft
·
16 sec
·
South Wentworth Avenue
14
Turn left onto West 35th Street
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
West 35th Street
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on East 35th Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East 35th Street
16
Turn right onto South Cottage Grove Avenue
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South Cottage Grove Avenue
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto East 47th Street
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
East 47th Street
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
East 47th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.91 one way
$7.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.81 | $9.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.52 | $11.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Kenwood, IL
Morning in Kenwood on Friday
Local time
6:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
41°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
10 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
40m 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 Kenwood, IL covers 25 miles and takes about 40m 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. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.5 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 $3.91 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 11 decision points packed into just 25 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Oakton Street): 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; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Des Plaines, IL to Kenwood, 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.
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