Origin
Elmwood Park, IL
Late night in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
5:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmwood Park, IL to Aurora, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
35.9 mi
58 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 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
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.
Elmwood Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 35.5-mile trip from Elmwood Park to Aurora, Illinois, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 49 minutes to complete. You'll navigate through the Midwest region of Illinois, sticking to local roads for the majority of the journey. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $5, this route is budget-friendly for a quick excursion. The drive is characterized by frequent turns, making it a more engaging local experience rather than a straightforward highway cruise. It's an ideal short trip that doesn't require an overnight stay, offering flexibility for when you choose to depart.
About the Cities
Starting in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
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: 35.9 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 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 35.5-mile route, with 0% of your journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not specified, but the profile suggests a continuous series of turns on local roads like West Belden Avenue and North Harlem Avenue before merging onto I-290 West. This means you'll be actively steering and navigating through town for nearly the entire duration. The character of the drive is consistent, focusing on local street navigation rather than open highway cruising, so be prepared for a more involved driving experience.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 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 23.9 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 IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 35.9 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 (IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; 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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue
Turn right onto IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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)
8
32.6 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
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 Aurora, 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 | 23.9 mi | 29m |
| Eisenhower Expressway | 5 mi | 6m |
| North Harlem Avenue | 3.3 mi | 8m |
| North Lake Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Belden Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Galena Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 23.9 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmwood Park, IL and Aurora, 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
22 mi
·
26 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138
Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto IL 31
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
12
Continue on IL 31
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Lake Street
13
Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
14
Arrive at destination
West Galena Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.9 mi from Elmwood Park, IL · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from Elmwood Park, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Aurora, IL
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Aurora, 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
$5.61 one way
$11.23 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.16 | $12.32 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.91 | $13.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.93 | $15.85 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(23.9 mi)
$1.43
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: 12.6 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 | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.03 | $2.30 |
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
Aurora, IL
Late night in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
5:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
WNW 20 mph
23% chance
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
29 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
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 Elmwood Park, IL to Aurora, IL covers 35.9 miles and takes about 53m 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, North Harlem Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.9 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 $5.61 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 10 decision points packed into just 35.9 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 (IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; 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.
Between Elmwood Park, IL and Aurora, 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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