Origin
Long Grove, IL
Night in Long Grove on Friday
Local time
11:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Long Grove, IL to Waukegan, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
22.3 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Grove, IL
Ali Soheil
Trip Overview
Long Grove to Waukegan is 22.3 miles and takes about 34 minutes via Tri-State Tollway and local roads, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, making it a convenient option for a quick drive between the Midwest regions. The route involves a significant amount of turning, suggesting it's more of a local navigation challenge than an open highway cruise. Given its brief duration, this journey is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing plenty of time for your destination.
About the Cities
Starting in Long Grove, IL
Full guide →Long Grove is a village in Chicagoland.
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 34m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (5%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you can expect frequent changes in direction rather than extended periods on a single highway. While 5% of the journey utilizes highway travel, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 10 miles on the Tri-State Tollway. This indicates that most of your time will be spent on surface streets and navigating local roads. Prepare for a dynamic driving experience where attention to navigation and turning is key.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Tri-State Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 10 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Robert Parker Coffin Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 22.3 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Robert Parker Coffin Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 1.7 miles (IL 22 / Half Day Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 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
|
Robert Parker Coffin Road
Turn sharp right onto Robert Parker Coffin Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
IL 22 / Half Day Road
Turn right onto IL 22 / Half Day Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
7 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Turn left toward I 94 West Toll: Wisconsin
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 94 West Toll: Wisconsin
5
7.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 94 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 94 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.4 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11A
Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 10 mi | 11m |
| West Half Day Road | 4.4 mi | 7m |
| Belvidere Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| State Highway 83 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Half Day Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glen Rock Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 10 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Long Grove, IL and Waukegan, IL.
1
Start on V77
78 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Old McHenry Road
2
Turn sharp right onto Robert Parker Coffin Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Robert Parker Coffin Road
3
Turn left onto IL 83
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 83
4
Turn right onto IL 22
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on IL 22
4.4 mi
·
7 min
·
West Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 94 West Toll: Wisconsin
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 94
10.0 mi
·
11 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 11A
Toward IL 120 East: Belvidere Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto IL 120
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Belvidere Road
10
Continue on IL 120
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Belvidere Street
11
Turn left onto Glen Rock Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Rock Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto South Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Jackson Street
13
Arrive at destination
North Jackson Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.49 one way
$6.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.60
Tri-state Tollway
(10 mi)
$0.60
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Waukegan, IL
Night in Waukegan on Friday
Local time
11:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
8 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
34m 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 Waukegan, IL covers 22.3 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, West Half Day Road, Belvidere Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.1 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 $3.49 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 22.3 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Robert Parker Coffin Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 1.7 miles (IL 22 / Half Day Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Long Grove, IL to Waukegan, 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.
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