Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Afternoon in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
12:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to South Shore, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
29.5 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
South Shore, IL
Wallace Silva
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to South Shore, IL covers 29.5 miles and takes about 47m 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 (Express), Dan Ryan Expressway 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 $4.61 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). 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 South Shore, IL covers 29.5 miles and takes about 47m, 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 24 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
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
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 (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 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.
6
20.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
7
24.7 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward I 90 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 59A
Toward I 90 East
7
26 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward 71st Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 59C
Toward 71st Street
8
26.4 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 71st Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 59C
Toward 71st Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| 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 |
| West 71st 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 South Shore, 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 left at fork onto I 90; I 94
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 59A
Toward I 90 East
Use the right lane.
13
Merge onto I 90; I 94
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Use the slight left lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Toward I 94 East: Indiana
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 59C
Toward 71st Street
Use the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 59C
Toward 71st Street
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn straight onto South Lafayette Avenue
303 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Lafayette Avenue
18
Turn left onto West 71st Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West 71st Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
19
Turn slight right onto South South Chicago Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South South Chicago Avenue
20
Turn left onto East 75th Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East 75th Street
21
Turn left onto South Baldwin Avenue
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
South Baldwin Avenue
22
Turn right onto East 74th Street
154 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 74th Street
23
Turn left onto South Euclid Avenue
471 ft
·
20 sec
·
South Euclid Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
South Euclid Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.06 | $10.13 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.68 | $11.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
South Shore, IL
Afternoon in South Shore on Friday
Local time
12:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°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
6 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
47m 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 South Shore, IL covers 29.5 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kennedy Expressway, Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), Dan Ryan Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.8 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 $4.61 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 16 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
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 (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Des Plaines, IL to South Shore, 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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