Origin
Lemont, IL
Afternoon in Lemont on Saturday
Local time
1:59 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lemont, IL to Palatine, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
35.9 mi
58 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lemont, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Palatine, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lemont, IL to Palatine, IL covers 35.9 miles and takes about 48m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Veterans Memorial Tollway, I 290, IL 53 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.9 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.61 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 22.9 mi | 28m |
| I 290 | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| IL 53 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Hicks Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| State Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| 127th Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Northwest Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Kirchoff Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 22.9 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lemont, IL and Palatine, IL.
1
Start on West New Avenue
481 ft
·
14 sec
·
West New Avenue
2
Turn left onto Lockport Street
138 ft
·
2 sec
·
Lockport Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn slight left onto East Illinois Street
490 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Illinois Street
4
Turn right onto State Street
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
5
Turn right onto 127th Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
127th Street
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 355 Toll North: West Suburbs
7
Merge onto I 355
23 mi
·
28 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 290
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward Kirchoff Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto Kirchoff Road
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Kirchoff Road
12
Turn right onto West Frontage Road
400 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Frontage Road
13
Continue on Hicks Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Hicks Road
14
Turn left onto US 14
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
East Northwest Highway
15
Turn left onto East Palatine Road
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Palatine Road
Use the left lane.
16
Arrive at destination
East Palatine Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
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 18 miles from Lemont, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 35.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lockport Street
Turn left onto Lockport Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
127th Street
Turn right onto 127th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
31.2 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
33.5 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Kirchoff Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Kirchoff Road
6
35.9 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
East Palatine Road
Turn left onto East Palatine Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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: $1.60
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(22.9 mi)
$1.60
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$2
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
Palatine, IL
Afternoon in Palatine on Saturday
Local time
1:59 PM
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
18 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
48m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
35.9 mi in 48m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.9 mi on Veterans Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 0.1 miles in near Lockport Street.
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 11 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 48m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lockport Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (127th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 31.2 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Palatine, IL
Full guide →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 48m. Total distance: 35.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.9 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.60 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Palatine, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lockport Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (127th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 31.2 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Palatine, IL before heading back.
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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