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Trip from Elmwood Park, IL to Bolingbrook, IL

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

Drive Time

42m

Distance

26.7 mi

43 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

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

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Elmwood Park, IL to Bolingbrook, IL is 26.7 miles and takes about 42 minutes via Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within Illinois, moving from the Midwest region to the Midwest region. It's a short trip, perfect for a quick errand, a visit to friends, or a simple commute. The main roads involved are largely tollways and expressways, making it a functional route rather than a scenic journey. You'll be on your way in under an hour, with minimal fuss.

About the Cities

Starting in Elmwood Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.

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 42m. Total distance: 26.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

This drive offers a mixed experience, with 35% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches of the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway and the Eisenhower Expressway, which are typical of busy Midwestern interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 7.6 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. While much of the route is efficient highway driving, you'll also transition to IL 53, offering a slight change in pace as you approach your destination. It’s a functional drive that prioritizes speed and directness.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 7.6 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 3.5 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 13 decision points packed into just 26.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.6 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

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

7
3.5 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the ramp toward I 290 West

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 290 West
9
8.7 mi into trip | ~17m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Exit 15A Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora...
8
10.6 mi into trip | ~19m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
7
16.3 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward I 355 South: Joliet

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 131A Toward I 355 South: Joliet
8
20.8 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward 63rd Street, Hobson Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 17 Toward 63rd Street, Hobson Road

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Elmwood Park, IL and Bolingbrook, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).

Indiana

8.7 mi in | ~17m | via I 88; IL 110

22Nd Street (Cermak Road)

10.6 mi in | ~19m | via I 88; IL 110

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 7.6 mi 9m
Eisenhower Expressway 5 mi 6m
IL 53 4.4 mi 7m
Veterans Memorial Tollway 3.7 mi 4m
North Harlem Avenue 3.3 mi 8m
Hobson Road 1.2 mi 1m
West Belden Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
63rd Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 7.6 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elmwood Park, IL and Bolingbrook, IL.

1

Start on this road

186 ft · 15 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto West Belden Avenue

0.1 mi · 31 sec · West Belden Avenue
3

Turn right

104 ft · 12 sec
4

Turn left

171 ft · 14 sec
5

Turn right onto IL 43

3.3 mi · 8 min · North Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Toward I 290 West Use the right lane.
7

Merge onto I 290; IL 110

5.0 mi · 6 min · Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110

1.9 mi · 2 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 15A Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana Use the slight left lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

5.8 mi · 6 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road) Use the slight right lane.
10

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 55 sec
Exit 131A Toward I 355 South: Joliet Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 355

3.7 mi · 4 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 17 Toward 63rd Street, Hobson Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn right onto 63rd Street

0.1 mi · 12 sec · 63rd Street
14

Continue on Hobson Road

1.2 mi · 1 min · Hobson Road
15

Turn left onto IL 53

4.4 mi · 7 min · IL 53
Use the left lane.
16

Arrive at destination

IL 53

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.17 one way

$8.35 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.58 $9.17
premium $4.89 $5.14 $10.28
diesel $5.61 $5.90 $11.79

Estimated Tolls: $0.72

Reagan Memorial Tollway (7.6 mi) $0.46
Veterans Memorial Tollway (3.7 mi) $0.26

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8 0 $2.80 $1.28
Efficient EV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07
EV Truck/SUV 10.7 0 $3.74 $1.71

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (67% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Elmwood Park, IL

Morning in Elmwood Park on Saturday

Local time

10:53 AM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bolingbrook, IL

Morning in Bolingbrook on Saturday

Local time

10:53 AM

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

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

42m 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 Elmwood Park, IL to Bolingbrook, IL covers 26.7 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Eisenhower Expressway, IL 53. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 13.3 miles from Elmwood Park, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.17 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 26.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

The main spots that need attention: at 3.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.6 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Between Elmwood Park, IL and Bolingbrook, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).

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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