Origin
Oak Brook, IL
Morning in Oak Brook on Saturday
Local time
8:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oak Brook, IL to Aurora, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
26.1 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oak Brook, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 26.1-mile drive from Oak Brook, IL to Aurora, IL is easily manageable in about 37 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route primarily utilizes the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, North Lake Street, and York Road, with a significant portion of the journey on the tollway. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this drive offers an economical way to travel within the Midwest region. Since there are no recommended overnight stops and the drive is so brief, you'll have plenty of flexibility for when you depart and how you structure your time.
About the Cities
Arriving in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
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 37m. Total distance: 26.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 26.1-mile trip, despite a significant stretch on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll experience is 20.5 miles on this tollway, offering a period of consistent travel. However, the overall profile suggests a drive that involves navigating local roads and making turns, especially outside of that main tollway section. The highway share is 0%, indicating that while you might use a major road like the tollway, the character is more about local connections than high-speed interstate cruising.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 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 20.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near York Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (York Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (22nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
|
York Road
Turn left onto York Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
22nd Street
Turn left onto 22nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 88 Toll West: Aurora
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 88 Toll West: Aurora
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
22.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 20.5 mi | 25m |
| North Lake Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| York Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| 22nd Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| South Lincolnway Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Galena Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Oak Brook Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 20.5 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oak Brook, IL and Aurora, IL.
1
Start on Oak Brook Road
71 ft
·
8 sec
·
Oak Brook Road
2
Turn left onto York Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
York Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto 22nd Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
22nd Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
185 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 88 Toll West: Aurora
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
this road
Toward I 88 Toll West: Aurora
6
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
21 mi
·
25 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 117
Toward IL 31, IL 56 East
Use the right lane.
8
Turn right onto IL 31
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
9
Continue on IL 31
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
North Lake Street
10
Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
11
Arrive at destination
West Galena Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.08 one way
$8.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.02 | $10.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.76 | $11.53 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.23
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(20.5 mi)
$1.23
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: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Aurora, IL
Morning in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
8:21 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
20 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
37m 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 Oak Brook, IL to Aurora, IL covers 26.1 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, North Lake Street, York Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.1 miles from Oak Brook, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.08 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 straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (York Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (22nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Oak Brook, IL to Aurora, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Aurora, IL
More trips to Aurora, IL
Explore more options from Oak Brook, IL or browse trips ending in Aurora, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.