Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Evening in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
5:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Wasco, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
38 mi
61 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Wasco, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Wasco, IL covers 38 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, Randall Road, Bolcum Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.6 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.94 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 38 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 53m drive with frequent turns across 38 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 20.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near East Algonquin Road.
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 13 decision points packed into just 38 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (East Algonquin Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Algonquin Road
At end of road, turn right onto East Algonquin Road
Navigation decision point
5
3.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
5
4.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
24.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward Randall Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 52
Toward Randall Road
8
25.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Randall Road, Elgin
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward Randall Road, Elgin
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Des Plaines, IL to Wasco, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Elgin along the way.
Elgin
25.2 mi in
|
~32m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 20.6 mi | 22m |
| Randall Road | 8.8 mi | 14m |
| Bolcum Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Oakton Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Algonquin Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lee Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| IL 64 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 20.6 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Plaines, IL and Wasco, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
262 ft
·
16 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn left onto White Street
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
White Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto East Algonquin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Algonquin Road
4
Turn left onto US 12; US 45
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Lee Street
5
Turn right onto East Oakton Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
6
Continue on West Oakton Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Oakton Street
7
Turn left onto South Elmhurst Road
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Elmhurst Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto I 90
21 mi
·
22 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 52
Toward Randall Road
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
222 ft
·
7 sec
Toward Randall Road, Elgin
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto CR 34
8.8 mi
·
14 min
·
Randall Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto Bolcum Road
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Bolcum Road
14
Enter roundabout onto CR 2
178 ft
·
3 sec
·
Burlington Road
15
Continue on CR 2
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Burlington Road
16
Turn right onto IL 64
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
·
IL 64
17
Arrive at destination
IL 64
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19 mi from Des Plaines, IL · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19 miles from Des Plaines, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Wasco, IL
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Wasco, 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
$5.94 one way
$11.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.52 | $13.05 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.31 | $14.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.39 | $16.78 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.44
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(20.6 mi)
$1.44
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.99 | $1.82 |
| Efficient EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.32 | $2.43 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Wasco, IL
Evening in Wasco on Friday
Local time
5:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°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
3 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
53m 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 Wasco, IL covers 38 miles and takes about 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, Randall Road, Bolcum Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 19 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 $5.94 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 13 decision points packed into just 38 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (East Algonquin Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Des Plaines, IL to Wasco, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Elgin along the way.
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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