Skip to main content

Trip from Elgin, IL to Hampshire, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

15.2 mi

24 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois

Elgin, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Kane County, Illinois, United States

Hampshire, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Elgin, IL to Hampshire, IL covers 15.2 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway, IL 72, Larkin Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.4 miles on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.38 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway 5.4 mi 8m
IL 72 4 mi 5m
Larkin Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
Oak Street 1.3 mi 1m
East Highland Avenue 0.9 mi 2m
Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Highway 0.7 mi 1m
South State Street 0.7 mi 1m
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: U.S. Grant Memorial Highway — 5.4 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elgin, IL and Hampshire, IL.

1

Start on East Chicago Street

34 ft · 8 sec · East Chicago Street
2

Turn left onto Center Street

329 ft · 12 sec · Center Street
3

Turn left onto East Highland Avenue

0.9 mi · 2 min · East Highland Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Continue on Larkin Avenue

1.6 mi · 3 min · Larkin Avenue
5

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
6

Merge onto US 20

360 ft · 5 sec · Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
7

Continue on US 20

0.7 mi · 1 min · Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Highway
Use the left lane.
8

Continue on US 20

3.5 mi · 5 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
Use the left lane.
9

Continue on US 20

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Oak Street
10

Continue on US 20

0.9 mi · 1 min · Oak Street
11

Continue on US 20

1.9 mi · 2 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
12

Continue on IL 72

4.0 mi · 5 min · IL 72
13

Turn right onto South State Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · South State Street
14

Turn left onto West Jefferson Avenue

58 ft · 2 sec · West Jefferson Avenue
15

Arrive at destination

West Jefferson Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Center Street

Turn left onto Center Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | East Highland Avenue

Turn left onto East Highland Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
3
3.1 mi into trip | ~7m in | US 20 / Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway

Merge onto US 20 / Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining

4
14.5 mi into trip | ~23m in | South State Street

Turn right onto South State Street

Navigation decision point

3
15.2 mi into trip | ~25m in | West Jefferson Avenue

Turn left onto West Jefferson Avenue

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.38 one way

$4.75 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $2.61 $5.22
premium $4.89 $2.93 $5.85
diesel $5.61 $3.36 $6.71

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.6 0 $1.60 $0.73
Efficient EV 3.8 0 $1.33 $0.61
EV Truck/SUV 6.1 0 $2.13 $0.97

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Elgin, IL

Afternoon in Elgin on Saturday

Local time

12:41 PM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Partly Sunny

WNW 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 10:06AM CDT until April 20 at 5:00PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 10:06AM CDT until April 20 at 5:48PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Hampshire, IL

Afternoon in Hampshire on Saturday

Local time

12:41 PM

CDT

Current temp

49°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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

25m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

15.2 mi in 25m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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 early in the drive near Center Street.

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 25m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (US 20 / Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.

About the Cities

Starting in Elgin, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1854

Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

Top landmarks

  • Elgin Tower Building — building in Illinois, United States
  • Elgin Downtown Commercial District

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 25m. Total distance: 15.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (26%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (US 20 / Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Hampshire, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Hampshire, IL to Elgin, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

15.1 mi 25m

Explore more options from Elgin, IL or browse trips ending in Hampshire, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.