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Trip from Forest Park, IL to Naperville, IL

Last recalculated Apr 15, 2026

Drive Time

30m

Distance

21 mi

34 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m

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

Forest Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 21-mile drive from Forest Park, IL to Naperville, IL is a quick trip, typically taking around 30 minutes. It's an easy day trip, perfect for a quick excursion without needing an overnight stay. The route primarily utilizes the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway and the Eisenhower Expressway, with a final stretch on North Washington Street. With an estimated fuel cost of just $3, it’s a budget-friendly option for exploring the Midwest. This journey offers a straightforward connection between two Illinois communities.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

This drive is short enough that no stops are needed.

Midpoint

10.5 miles from Forest Park, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 14m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile for this route, despite a significant portion being on major highways. While 21% of the drive is on highways, the majority involves navigating local roads, indicated by the 'turn-heavy' description. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.1 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. This suggests a journey that begins with faster travel before transitioning into more frequent turns and potentially slower speeds as you approach your destination.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 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 13.1 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 Des Plaines Avenue.

Route Complexity 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 21 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

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 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 8 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 | 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.
9
5.1 mi into trip | ~8m 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
6.9 mi into trip | ~10m 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)
6
18.1 mi into trip | ~24m in

Take the exit

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 127

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

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

Indiana

5.1 mi in | ~8m | via I 88; IL 110

22Nd Street (Cermak Road)

6.9 mi in | ~10m | via I 88; IL 110

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 13.1 mi 16m
Eisenhower Expressway 4.5 mi 6m
North Washington Street 1.3 mi 2m
East Diehl Road 0.9 mi 1m
Des Plaines Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
Freedom Drive 0.4 mi <1m
Madison Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 13.1 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Forest Park, IL and Naperville, 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 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.
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

11 mi · 13 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road) Use the slight right lane.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Exit 127 Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn left onto Freedom Drive

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Freedom Drive
9

Turn right onto East Diehl Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Diehl Road
10

Turn left onto North Washington Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · North Washington Street
Use the left lane.
11

Arrive at destination

North Washington Street

Trip Plan

Given its short 30-minute duration and 21-mile length, this trip offers plenty of flexibility. You can easily depart at any time of day without needing to plan for extensive stops. The estimated fuel cost of only $3 means you won't need to worry about frequent refueling. As you approach Naperville on North Washington Street, be prepared for the 'turn-heavy' nature of the final leg; pay close attention to navigation to ensure you don't miss any crucial turns.

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 10.5 miles from Forest Park, IL, or about 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 13.1 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 21 miles or 30m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 10.5 miles or 14m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 23m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Naperville, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Have your navigation ready before leaving Forest Park, IL.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Forest Park, IL

This is one driving day of about 21 miles and 30m.

At 21 miles this is a quick drive — no planned stops needed.
The longest stretch is on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway for about 13.1 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 10.5 mi from Forest Park, IL · 14m into the drive

Pacing Suggestions

Warrenville, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 10.5 miles from Forest Park, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Naperville, IL

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

$3.28 one way

$6.57 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.60 $7.21
premium $4.89 $4.04 $8.08
diesel $5.61 $4.64 $9.27

Estimated Tolls: $0.78

Reagan Memorial Tollway (13.1 mi) $0.78

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

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$1

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$29–$54

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.3 0 $2.20 $1.01
Efficient EV 5.3 0 $1.84 $0.84
EV Truck/SUV 8.4 0 $2.94 $1.34

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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

Forest Park, IL

Evening in Forest Park on Wednesday

Local time

6:01 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Naperville, IL

Evening in Naperville on Wednesday

Local time

6:01 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°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

16 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

30m 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 Naperville, IL covers 21 miles and takes about 30m 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 Washington Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.5 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 $3.28 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 8 decision points packed into just 21 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
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 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Forest Park, IL and Naperville, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).

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