Origin
Geneva, IL
Morning in Geneva on Saturday
Local time
11:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Geneva, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
35 mi
56 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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.
Geneva, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Geneva, IL to Des Plaines, IL is 35 miles and takes about 55m via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive that stays within Illinois, making it an easy local trip. The route primarily uses tollways and local roads, offering a mix of speeds but generally keeping you moving. With a duration under an hour, it's a perfect option for a quick errand or a short scenic escape within the Midwest region. You won't need an overnight stay, so you can plan this trip with plenty of flexibility.
About the Cities
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
Top landmarks
- • McDonald's #1 Store Museum — former McDonald's spot
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 55m. Total distance: 35 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
This drive is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' indicating that you'll encounter frequent turns and navigate through local roadways rather than sustained highway cruising. While it includes 13.2 miles on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, this likely serves as a connector between local segments. With a 0% highway share, expect a more engaged driving experience with varied speed limits and intersections. The longest continuous stretch on the tollway offers a brief period of faster travel before you re-enter more urban or suburban driving conditions. Be prepared for a dynamic journey that requires attention to navigation.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 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 13.2 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 IL 38 / West State Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 35 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 (IL 38 / West State Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.6 miles (B10 / West Bartlett Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 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
|
IL 38 / West State Street
Turn right onto IL 38 / West State Street
Navigation decision point
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
B10 / West Bartlett Road
Turn right onto B10 / West Bartlett Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
30.6 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward Elmhurst Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 73
Toward Elmhurst Road
7
31.1 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Elmhurst Road North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Elmhurst Road North
6
31.5 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
West Oakton Street
Turn right onto West Oakton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right 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 Geneva, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Elmhurst Road North along the way.
Elmhurst Road North
31.1 mi in
|
~46m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 13.2 mi | 14m |
| South 5th Avenue | 5.1 mi | 9m |
| Stearns Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| South Sutton Road | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| New Sutton Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| East Oakton Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Munger Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Oakton Street | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 13.2 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Geneva, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on this road
20 ft
·
3 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto IL 38
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
West State Street
3
Turn left onto IL 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Bennett Street
4
Continue on IL 25
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Riverside Avenue
5
Turn slight right onto IL 25
5.1 mi
·
9 min
·
South 5th Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on Stearns Road
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Stearns Road
7
Turn left onto Munger Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Munger Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on V44
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Naperville Road
9
Turn right onto B10
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
West Bartlett Road
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto IL 59
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
South Sutton Road
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on IL 59
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
New Sutton Road
Use the left lane.
12
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 90 Toll East: Chicago
Use the right lane.
13
Merge onto I 90
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 73
Toward Elmhurst Road
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
288 ft
·
9 sec
Toward Elmhurst Road North
Use the slight left lane.
16
Turn straight onto South Elmhurst Road
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
South Elmhurst Road
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
17
Turn right onto West Oakton Street
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
West Oakton Street
Use the right lane.
18
Continue on West Oakton Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Oakton Street
19
Continue on East Oakton Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
20
Turn left onto US 12; US 45
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Lee Street
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto East Algonquin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Algonquin Road
22
Turn left onto White Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
White Street
23
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
262 ft
·
11 sec
·
Henry Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.5 mi from Geneva, IL · 31m 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 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Geneva, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Des Plaines, 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
$5.47 one way
$10.94 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.01 | $12.02 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.74 | $13.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.73 | $15.46 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.92
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(13.2 mi)
$0.92
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14 | 0 | $4.90 | $2.24 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Saturday
Local time
11:16 AM
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
1 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
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 Geneva, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 35 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, South 5th Avenue, Stearns Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.5 miles from Geneva, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.47 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 16 decision points packed into just 35 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 (IL 38 / West State Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.6 miles (B10 / West Bartlett Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Geneva, IL to Des Plaines, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Elmhurst Road North 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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