Origin
Des Plaines, IL
Afternoon in Des Plaines on Saturday
Local time
3:17 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Plaines, IL to Prairie Grove, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
28.9 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Prairie Grove, IL
Andrew Patrick Photo
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Plaines, IL to Prairie Grove, IL covers 28.9 miles and takes about 49m 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, Rand Road, East Rand Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Des Plaines River Road | — | — |
| Rand Road | — | — |
| East Rand Road | — | — |
| IL 176 | — | — |
| West Liberty Street | — | — |
| East State Road | — | — |
| Nish Road | — | — |
| Barreville Road | — | — |
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 Prairie Grove, IL.
1
Start on Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Henry Avenue
2
Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
3
Turn left onto Rand Road
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Rand Road
4
Continue on East Rand Road
19 mi
·
28 min
·
East Rand Road
5
Take the exit slight right toward IL 176
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
IL 176
6
Turn left onto West Liberty Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Liberty Street
7
Continue on East State Road
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
East State Road
8
Turn right onto Nish Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Nish Road
9
At the end of the road, turn right onto Barreville Road
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Barreville Road
10
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.52 one way
$9.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.96 | $9.92 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.56 | $11.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.38 | $12.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
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
Prairie Grove, IL
Afternoon in Prairie Grove on Saturday
Local time
3:17 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°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
17 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
49m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
28.9 mi in 49m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: South Des Plaines River Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
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 Prairie Grove, IL is easy. At 49m 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 Prairie Grove, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
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).
Top landmarks
- • McDonald's #1 Store Museum — former McDonald's spot
Arriving in Prairie Grove, IL
Full guide →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 49m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m 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
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Des Plaines, IL to Prairie Grove, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Prairie Grove, IL before heading back.
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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