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Trip from Naperville, IL to Elmwood Park, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

24.2 mi

39 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 36m ★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Naperville, IL to Elmwood Park, IL covers 24.2 miles and takes about 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, South 1st Avenue, Eisenhower Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.9 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.78 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 12.9 mi 16m
South 1st Avenue 3.6 mi 7m
Eisenhower Expressway 3.4 mi 4m
East Ogden Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
West Fullerton Avenue 1.3 mi 3m
Naperville Road 0.3 mi <1m
North Naperville Wheaton Road 0.3 mi <1m
North 73rd Court 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 12.9 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Naperville, IL and Elmwood Park, IL.

1

Start on North Washington Street

50 ft · 9 sec · North Washington Street
2

Turn left onto US 34

1.6 mi · 3 min · East Ogden Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Turn left onto North Naperville Wheaton Road

0.3 mi · 39 sec · North Naperville Wheaton Road
Use the left lane.
4

Turn left onto Naperville Road

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Naperville Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward I 88 Toll East: Chicago Use the right lane.
6

Merge onto I 88; IL 110

6.9 mi · 8 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

6.0 mi · 7 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 290; IL 110

3.4 mi · 4 min · Eisenhower Expressway
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 20 Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive

381 ft · 17 sec · Bataan Drive
11

Turn left onto IL 171

3.6 mi · 7 min · South 1st Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
12

Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue

1.3 mi · 3 min · West Fullerton Avenue
13

Turn right onto North 73rd Court

0.1 mi · 34 sec · North 73rd Court
14

Turn left onto West Belden Avenue

160 ft · 9 sec · West Belden Avenue
15

Turn right

186 ft · 13 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 34 / East Ogden Avenue

Turn left onto US 34 / East Ogden Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | North Naperville Wheaton Road

Turn left onto North Naperville Wheaton Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
9.5 mi into trip | ~14m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.9 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward IL 171: 1st Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 20 Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
6
19.1 mi into trip | ~27m in | IL 171 / South 1st Avenue

Turn left onto IL 171 / South 1st Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.78 one way

$7.57 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.15 $8.31
premium $4.89 $4.66 $9.31
diesel $5.61 $5.34 $10.69

Estimated Tolls: $0.77

Reagan Memorial Tollway (12.9 mi) $0.77

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.3 0 $2.54 $1.16
Efficient EV 6.1 0 $2.12 $0.97
EV Truck/SUV 9.7 0 $3.39 $1.55

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Naperville, IL

Afternoon in Naperville on Saturday

Local time

12:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Elmwood Park, IL

Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday

Local time

12:24 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

39m 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?

24.2 mi in 39m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 14% 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: 12.9 mi on Ronald Reagan 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 early in the drive near US 34 / East Ogden Avenue.

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 13 decision points packed into just 24.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 34 / East Ogden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (North Naperville Wheaton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Naperville, IL

Full guide →

Naperville is a bedroom community in the Chicagoland area. In 2008, Money magazine ranked Naperville third on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.

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 39m. Total distance: 24.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m 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 12.9 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.77 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan 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 Elmwood Park, 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: near the start (US 34 / East Ogden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (North Naperville Wheaton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): 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 Elmwood Park, 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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Explore more options from Naperville, IL or browse trips ending in Elmwood Park, IL.

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