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Trip from Elgin, IL to Uptown, IL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

55m

Distance

36.6 mi

59 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 51m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois

Elgin, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Uptown, IL, IL

Uptown, IL

Quang Vuong

Trip Overview

The drive from Elgin, IL to Uptown, IL covers 36.6 miles and takes about 55m 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, West Lawrence Avenue, West Higgins Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.72 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

55m 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 55m drive with frequent turns across 36.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 26 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 22 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 early in the drive near Center 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 19 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 24.3 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.8 miles (Cumberland flyover): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 19 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

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

Turn left onto Center Street

Navigation decision point

7
24.3 mi into trip | ~29m in | I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway toward Cumberland Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Cumberland Avenue
7
24.8 mi into trip | ~30m in | Cumberland flyover

Take the exit onto Cumberland flyover toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue South

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 79A Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue South
6
25.8 mi into trip | ~31m in | IL 171 / North Cumberland Avenue

Turn right onto IL 171 / North Cumberland Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
30.4 mi into trip | ~42m in | West Lawrence Avenue

Turn left onto West Lawrence Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

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 Elgin, IL to Uptown, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.

Chicago

2.2 mi in | ~4m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 22 mi 24m
West Lawrence Avenue 5.8 mi 12m
West Higgins Avenue 2.7 mi 6m
Dundee Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
West Higgins Road 1.1 mi 1m
Cumberland flyover 1 mi 1m
North Cumberland Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
North Sheridan Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Jane Addams Memorial Tollway — 22 mi, about 24m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on East Chicago Street

34 ft · 8 sec · East Chicago Street
2

Turn left onto Center Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Center Street
3

Continue on Dundee Avenue

1.2 mi · 2 min · Dundee Avenue
4

Turn right onto IL 25

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Page Avenue
5

Turn straight onto IL 25

0.2 mi · 20 sec · North Liberty Street
6

Continue on IL 25

0.5 mi · 50 sec · Dundee Avenue
7

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West, I 90 Toll East: Rockford, Chicago
8

Continue on this road

486 ft · 11 sec · this road
Toward I 90 West, I 90 East: Rockford, Chicago
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 49 sec
Toward I 90 Toll East: Chicago
10

Merge onto I 90

21 mi · 23 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 90

0.3 mi · 21 sec · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Toward Cumberland Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90

526 ft · 29 sec · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
13

Merge onto I 90

402 ft · 4 sec · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
14

Take the exit onto Cumberland flyover

1.0 mi · 1 min · Cumberland flyover
Exit 79A Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork

245 ft · 8 sec
Toward IL 171 South: Cumberland Avenue
16

Turn right onto IL 171

0.2 mi · 28 sec · North Cumberland Avenue
Use the right lane.
17

Continue on IL 171

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Cumberland Avenue
Use the left lane.
18

Turn right onto IL 72

1.1 mi · 1 min · West Higgins Road
19

Turn right onto IL 72

326 ft · 13 sec · North Oriole Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
20

Turn left onto IL 72

2.7 mi · 6 min · West Higgins Avenue
21

Turn right onto North Central Avenue

0.2 mi · 25 sec · North Central Avenue
22

Turn left onto West Lawrence Avenue

5.8 mi · 12 min · West Lawrence Avenue
Use the left lane.
23

Turn right onto North Sheridan Road

0.2 mi · 35 sec · North Sheridan Road
24

Turn left onto West Eastwood Avenue

509 ft · 14 sec · West Eastwood Avenue
25

Turn slight right

181 ft · 13 sec
26

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 18.3 mi from Elgin, IL · 22m into the drive

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Glenview, IL

18 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

Evanston, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Des Plaines, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Elgin, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Uptown, IL

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Uptown, 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

$5.72 one way

$11.44 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.28 $12.57
premium $4.89 $7.04 $14.09
diesel $5.61 $8.08 $16.16

Estimated Tolls: $1.50

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (21.5 mi) $1.50

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$2

Total

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 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 0 $3.84 $1.76
Efficient EV 9.2 0 $3.20 $1.46
EV Truck/SUV 14.6 0 $5.12 $2.34

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Elgin, IL

Evening in Elgin on Thursday

Local time

6:16 PM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 10 mph 34% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Uptown, IL

Evening in Uptown on Thursday

Local time

6:16 PM

CDT

Current temp

73°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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

55m 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 Elgin, IL to Uptown, IL covers 36.6 miles and takes about 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, West Lawrence Avenue, West Higgins Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.3 miles from Elgin, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.72 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 19 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 24.3 miles (I 90 / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.8 miles (Cumberland flyover): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Elgin, IL to Uptown, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

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