Origin
Montgomery, IL
Afternoon in Montgomery on Friday
Local time
1:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Montgomery, IL to Wheaton, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
20.7 mi
33 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 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Montgomery, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Wheaton, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 20.7-mile drive from Montgomery, IL to Wheaton, IL will only take about 32 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate on local roads like South Lake Street and Naperville Road, with a brief stretch on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. Given the minimal distance and estimated fuel cost of around $3, this is a straightforward local excursion. Since you're staying within the Midwest region and Illinois, no overnight stay is necessary. This route offers a practical and quick connection between these two Illinois communities.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 20.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m 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
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for much of this journey, rather than an open highway experience. While only a small portion of the route involves highway driving, you will encounter about 10 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. This means you'll experience a mix of suburban surface streets and a brief, faster-paced toll road segment. The character of the drive shifts as you transition between these road types, requiring your attention for varying traffic conditions and navigation.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Memorial 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. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.1 miles in.
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 9 decision points packed into just 20.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
5.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the ramp toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago...
8
5.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 88 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
6
15.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 127
6
16.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
Warrenville Road
Turn right onto Warrenville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
20.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
South Main Street
Turn right onto South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight 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 Montgomery, IL to Wheaton, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Dekalb-Iowa along the way.
Dekalb-Iowa
5.1 mi in
|
~9m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 10 mi | 12m |
| South Lake Street | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| Naperville Road | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| South Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Warrenville Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Freedom Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Roosevelt Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 10 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Montgomery, IL and Wheaton, IL.
1
Start on IL 31
90 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Lake Street
2
Continue on IL 31
4.7 mi
·
8 min
·
South Lake Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on South Lincolnway Street
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
4
Take the ramp
387 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
this road
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
7
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
10.0 mi
·
12 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 127
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on Freedom Drive
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Freedom Drive
10
Turn right onto Warrenville Road
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Warrenville Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto Naperville Road
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Naperville Road
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto IL 38
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
East Roosevelt Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
14
At end of road, turn left onto West Wesley Street
102 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Wesley Street
15
Arrive at destination
West Wesley Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.24 one way
$6.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.55 | $7.11 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.98 | $7.97 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.57 | $9.14 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.60
Reagan Memorial 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: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.90 | $1.32 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Wheaton, IL
Afternoon in Wheaton on Friday
Local time
1:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°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
20 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
32m 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 Montgomery, IL to Wheaton, IL covers 20.7 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, South Lake Street, Naperville Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.4 miles from Montgomery, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.24 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 9 decision points packed into just 20.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Montgomery, IL to Wheaton, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Dekalb-Iowa 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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