Origin
Forest Park, IL
Late night in Forest Park on Saturday
Local time
3:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forest Park, IL to Elgin, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
29.2 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forest Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 29.2-mile drive from Forest Park, IL to Elgin, IL is a straightforward trip perfect for a single day. Expect to spend about 45 minutes behind the wheel, with a modest fuel cost of around $5. The route primarily utilizes local roads with some highway sections, offering a mixed driving experience. Since it's a short journey within the Midwest region of Illinois, an overnight stay isn't necessary, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. This drive offers a practical way to connect two Illinois communities without a significant time commitment.
About the Cities
Arriving in Elgin, IL
Full guide →Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
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 45m. Total distance: 29.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This drive presents a mixed bag of road types, with 47% of it being highway. You'll encounter about 6.7 miles on Lake Street as the longest uninterrupted stretch, indicating a good portion of the journey will be on this main artery. The profile suggests a blend of faster highway driving and more local road segments, meaning you'll likely experience varying traffic patterns and speed limits. This dynamic keeps the drive engaging without being overly demanding, transitioning from quicker travel to more community-focused sections.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Lake Street is the longest continuous segment at about 6.7 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 early in the drive near Des Plaines 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 9 decision points packed into just 29.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Des Plaines Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Des Plaines Avenue
Turn left onto Des Plaines Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
5.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 290
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290 toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford, Milwaukee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford,...
8
9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 20
Take the exit onto US 20 toward US 20 West, IL 64 West: Lake Street, York Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 12
Toward US 20 West, IL 64 West: Lake Street, Yor...
7
9.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 20
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20 toward US 20 West: Lake Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 20 West: Lake Street
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 Forest Park, IL to Elgin, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Milwaukee along the way.
Milwaukee
5.1 mi in
|
~8m
|
via I 290
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Street | 6.7 mi | 11m |
| US 20 | 5.4 mi | 8m |
| West Lake Street | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Eisenhower Expressway | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| I 290 | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Villa Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Des Plaines Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lake Street
— 6.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest Park, IL and Elgin, IL.
1
Start on Madison Street
44 ft
·
6 sec
·
Madison Street
2
Turn left onto Des Plaines Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Des Plaines Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 290 West: Eisenhower Expressway
4
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
I 290
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford, Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit onto US 20
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
US 20
Exit 12
Toward US 20 West, IL 64 West: Lake Street, York Road
Use the right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20
5.3 mi
·
8 min
·
US 20
Toward US 20 West: Lake Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 20
5.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
9
Continue on US 20
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
10
Continue on US 20
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
West Lake Street
11
Continue on US 20
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
12
Turn slight left onto Villa Street
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Villa Street
Toward Villa Street
Use the slight left lane.
13
Turn left
311 ft
·
28 sec
14
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
15
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.57 one way
$9.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.01 | $10.02 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.45 | $12.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 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 | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.09 | $1.87 |
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
Elgin, IL
Late night in Elgin on Saturday
Local time
3:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m 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 Forest Park, IL to Elgin, IL covers 29.2 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lake Street, US 20, West Lake Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.6 miles from Forest Park, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.57 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 9 decision points packed into just 29.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Des Plaines Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Forest Park, IL to Elgin, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Milwaukee along the way.
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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