Trip from Naperville, IL to Northbrook, IL

Drive Time

51m

Distance

36.1 mi

58 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

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

village in Illinois, United States

Northbrook, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Naperville, IL to Northbrook, IL covers 36.1 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Willow Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.1 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.48 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

18 miles from Naperville, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 25m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 51m drive with frequent turns across 36.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 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 17.1 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 early in the drive near US 34 / East Ogden Avenue.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 36.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 34 / East Ogden Avenue): 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; at 14.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

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.
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.
8
14.2 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 139 Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rock...
6
14.8 mi into trip | ~21m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International A...
7
32.2 mi into trip | ~44m in

Take the exit toward Willow Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 48 Toward Willow Road

Towns Along This Route

Between Naperville, IL and Northbrook, IL, road signs point toward Rockford and Milwaukee.

Rockford

14.2 mi in | ~20m

Milwaukee

14.8 mi in | ~21m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 17.1 mi 21m
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 11.6 mi 14m
Willow Road 2 mi 3m
East Ogden Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
Shermer Road 1.5 mi 2m
Naperville Road 0.3 mi <1m
North Naperville Wheaton Road 0.3 mi <1m
1st Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 17.1 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Naperville, IL and Northbrook, 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

4.7 mi · 5 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 139 Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee
10

Merge onto I 294

17 mi · 21 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 15 sec
Exit 48 Toward Willow Road Use the slight right lane.
12

Continue on this road

0.2 mi · 26 sec · this road
Exit 48 Toward Willow Road
13

Turn right onto Willow Road

2.0 mi · 3 min · Willow Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn left onto Shermer Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · Shermer Road
Use the left lane.
15

Turn left onto Walters Avenue

121 ft · 3 sec · Walters Avenue
16

Turn right onto 1st Street

294 ft · 14 sec · 1st Street
17

Turn right

298 ft · 21 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 18 miles from Naperville, IL, or about 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 17.1 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 36.1 miles or 51m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 18 miles or 25m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 42m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Northbrook, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Naperville, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Naperville, IL

This is one driving day of about 36.1 miles and 51m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Naperville, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Tri-State Tollway for about 17.1 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 18 mi from Naperville, IL · 25m into the drive

Downtown Berwyn, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Berwyn, IL

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.

Popular next leg

Berwyn, IL to Northbrook, IL

24.7 mi · 42m

Pacing Suggestions

Des Plaines, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36.1 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Des Plaines, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18 miles from Naperville, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Northbrook, IL

The final approach into Northbrook, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Northbrook, IL.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.48 one way

$10.97 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $6.04 $12.09
premium $4.80 $6.81 $13.63
diesel $5.64 $8.02 $16.04

Estimated Tolls: $1.72

Tri-state Tollway (17.1 mi) $1.03
Reagan Memorial Tollway (11.6 mi) $0.69

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

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$32–$57

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.8 0 $3.79 $1.73
Efficient EV 9 0 $3.16 $1.44
EV Truck/SUV 14.4 0 $5.05 $2.31

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.

Forecast data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Naperville, IL

Afternoon in Naperville on Monday

Local time

1:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Northbrook, IL

Afternoon in Northbrook on Monday

Local time

1:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

5 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

51m 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 Naperville, IL to Northbrook, IL covers 36.1 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Willow Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18 miles from Naperville, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.48 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 demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 36.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 34 / East Ogden Avenue): 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; at 14.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Naperville, IL and Northbrook, IL, road signs point toward Rockford and Milwaukee.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Northbrook, IL to Naperville, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

35.9 mi 45m

Explore more options from Naperville, IL or browse trips ending in Northbrook, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.

Explore maps for Naperville, IL or Northbrook, IL on MapSof.net.