Origin
Palatine, IL
Late night in Palatine on Friday
Local time
3:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palatine, IL to Oak Lawn, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
36.8 mi
59 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palatine, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Oak Lawn, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Palatine, IL to Oak Lawn, IL covers 36.8 miles and takes about 54m 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, I 290, IL 53 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.1 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.75 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 36.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Palatine, IL to Oak Lawn, IL covers 36.8 miles and takes about 54m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 23 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 13.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in near IL 53.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 36.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53 toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
7
9.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 290
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290 toward I 290 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
8
19 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
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 15A
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
8
33.3 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward US 12 East, US 20 East: 95th Street, 76th Avenue
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 17A
Toward US 12 East, US 20 East: 95th Street, 76t...
9
33.5 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 12, US 20 East: 95th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward US 12, US 20 East: 95th Street
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 Palatine, IL to Oak Lawn, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Indiana along the way.
Indiana
19 mi in
|
~26m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 13.1 mi | 17m |
| I 290 | 9.3 mi | 12m |
| IL 53 | 7.9 mi | 10m |
| West 95th Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Hicks Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Mile-Long Bridge | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Central Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Northwest Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 13.1 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palatine, IL and Oak Lawn, IL.
1
Start on East Palatine Road
73 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Palatine Road
2
Turn right onto US 14
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
East Northwest Highway
3
Turn right onto Hicks Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Hicks Road
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto Euclid Avenue
66 ft
·
1 sec
·
Euclid Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward IL 53 South
6
Merge onto IL 53
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
IL 53
7
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
IL 53
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290
9.3 mi
·
12 min
·
I 290
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 15A
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 294
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
Exit 15A
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
12
Merge onto I 294
137 ft
·
1 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 294
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 294
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Mile-Long Bridge
16
Continue on I 294
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 17A
Toward US 12 East, US 20 East: 95th Street, 76th Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward US 12, US 20 East: 95th Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
19
Turn straight onto US 12; US 20
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
West 95th Street
20
Turn right onto South Central Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Central Avenue
21
Turn left onto 99th Place
514 ft
·
24 sec
·
99th Place
Use the left lane.
22
Turn right onto Mulberry Avenue
262 ft
·
11 sec
·
Mulberry Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Mulberry Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.4 mi from Palatine, IL · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 36.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.4 miles from Palatine, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Oak Lawn, IL
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Oak Lawn, IL if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.75 one way
$11.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.32 | $12.63 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.08 | $14.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.12 | $16.25 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.78
Tri-state Tollway
(13.1 mi)
$0.78
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.77 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.36 |
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.
Destination
Oak Lawn, IL
Late night in Oak Lawn on Friday
Local time
3:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
69°F
Elmhurst, IL
18 mi in
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
21 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
54m 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 Palatine, IL to Oak Lawn, IL covers 36.8 miles and takes about 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, I 290, IL 53. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.4 miles from Palatine, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.75 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 18 decision points packed into just 36.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Palatine, IL to Oak Lawn, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Indiana along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Oak Lawn, IL
Explore more options from Palatine, IL or browse trips ending in Oak Lawn, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.