Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Night in Des Plaines on Thursday
Local time
10:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Lincoln Square, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
21m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 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 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Lincoln Square, IL
Quang Vuong
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Lincoln Square, IL covers 11.9 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Caldwell Avenue, West Touhy Avenue, West Peterson Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 2.5 miles on North Caldwell Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m 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
Expect a 21m drive with frequent turns across 11.9 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.
North Caldwell Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 2.5 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
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 21m drive. You will face about 6 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 6 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
5.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 14 / North Caldwell Avenue
Turn right onto US 14 / North Caldwell Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
11.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 41 / West Foster Avenue
Turn left onto US 41 / West Foster Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| West Peterson Avenue | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Lincoln Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Foster Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Caldwell Avenue
— 2.5 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Lincoln Square, 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
Continue on North Caldwell Avenue
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
North Caldwell Avenue
8
Continue on US 14
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
West Peterson Avenue
9
Turn slight right onto US 41
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Lincoln Avenue
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto US 41
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Foster Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
US 41
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.86 one way
$3.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.04 | $4.09 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.29 | $4.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 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 | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
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
Lincoln Square, IL
Night in Lincoln Square on Thursday
Local time
10:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
WNW 10 to 15 mph
40% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
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
21m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 Lincoln Square, IL covers 11.9 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Caldwell Avenue, West Touhy Avenue, West Peterson Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 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 $1.86 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 21m drive. You will face about 6 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 Lincoln Square, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.
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