Origin
Hinckley, IL
Late night in Hinckley on Saturday
Local time
3:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hinckley, 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
1h
Distance
54 mi
87 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hinckley, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 54 miles and takes about 1h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East Lincoln Avenue, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, I 294 North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.44 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →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).
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 1h. Total distance: 54 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h drive with frequent turns across 54 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Lincoln Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 1h with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Lincoln Avenue | — | — |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | — | — |
| I 294 North | — | — |
| I 294 | — | — |
| Tri-State Tollway | — | — |
| Touhy Avenue | — | — |
| Touhy Avenue West | — | — |
| East Touhy Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
East Lincoln Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hinckley, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on South Sycamore Street
43 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Sycamore Street
2
Turn right onto East Lincoln Avenue
10 mi
·
15 min
·
East Lincoln Avenue
3
Continue straight
25 mi
·
31 min
4
Keep slight right to continue on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
5
Take the exit slight right toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford
6
Keep slight left to continue on I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee
7
Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway
9.9 mi
·
13 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
8
Take the exit slight right toward Touhy Avenue
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Touhy Avenue
9
Keep slight left to continue on Touhy Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Touhy Avenue
10
Keep slight left to continue on Touhy Avenue West
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Touhy Avenue West
11
Keep slight right to continue on Touhy Avenue West
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Touhy Avenue West
12
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
325 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Touhy Avenue
13
Turn slight right
338 ft
·
9 sec
14
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
15
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
16
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27 mi from Hinckley, IL · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27 miles from Hinckley, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
The final approach into Des Plaines, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.44 one way
$16.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.27 | $18.54 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.39 | $20.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.92 | $23.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.56 | $3.46 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Late night in Des Plaines on Saturday
Local time
3:58 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
1h 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 Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 54 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Lincoln Avenue, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, I 294 North. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27 miles from Hinckley, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.44 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.
The drive from Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 1h with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Hinckley, IL to Des Plaines, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Des Plaines, IL
More trips to Des Plaines, IL
Explore more options from Hinckley, IL or browse trips ending in Des Plaines, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.