Origin
Long Grove, IL
Late night in Long Grove on Saturday
Local time
4:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Long Grove, 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
22m
Distance
13.2 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Grove, IL
Ali Soheil
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Long Grove to Des Plaines is 13.2 miles and takes about 22 minutes via North Elmhurst Road, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two towns in the Midwest. It's a quick drive that's best suited for a single-day excursion. Given the short distance and duration, you won't encounter major changes in scenery or driving conditions. Plan for a straightforward journey with minimal travel time.
About the Cities
Starting in Long Grove, IL
Full guide →Long Grove is a village in Chicagoland.
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 22m. Total distance: 13.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This is a turn-heavy local drive, with highway sharing at 100% on main roads like North Elmhurst Road, McHenry Road, and Rand Road. You'll experience a series of turns and changes in road type, characteristic of navigating through suburban areas. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.3 miles on North Elmhurst Road. Expect frequent intersections and traffic lights as you make your way to your destination, rather than long, open highway stretches.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Elmhurst Road is the longest continuous segment at about 4.3 miles.
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. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near IL 83 / McHenry Road.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Long Grove, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 22m with 1% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (IL 83 / McHenry Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.1 miles (Henry Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
3 of 3 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 83 / McHenry Road
Turn right onto IL 83 / McHenry Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Turn right onto IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
13.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Henry Avenue
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Elmhurst Road | 4.3 mi | 7m |
| McHenry Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Rand Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| East Rand Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Old McHenry Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North State Route 53 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Elmhurst Road
— 4.3 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Long Grove, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on V77
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
North Old McHenry Road
2
Turn left onto North State Route 53
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
North State Route 53
3
Turn right onto IL 83
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
McHenry Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto IL 83
4.3 mi
·
7 min
·
North Elmhurst Road
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto US 12
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Rand Road
6
Continue on US 12
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Rand Road
7
Turn right onto US 12; US 45
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
8
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
9
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.06 one way
$4.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.27 | $4.53 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.91 | $5.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
4:03 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
19 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
22m 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 Long Grove, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 13.2 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Elmhurst Road, McHenry Road, Rand Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.6 miles from Long Grove, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.06 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 Long Grove, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 22m with 1% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (IL 83 / McHenry Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.2 miles (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.1 miles (Henry Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Long Grove, IL to Des Plaines, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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