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Trip from Riverdale, IL to Aurora, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 10m

Distance

43.6 mi

70 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 5m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

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

Riverdale, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Aurora, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 43.6-mile drive from Riverdale, IL, to Aurora, IL, is designed for a single day, taking about 1 hour and 10 minutes. You'll navigate primarily on the Tri-State Tollway, 75th Street, and East New York Street, with about 9% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $7, and with no recommended stops, it's a straightforward excursion within the Midwest region. This route offers a practical way to travel between these two Illinois communities without needing an overnight stay.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 10m 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 this 43.6-mile trip. While 9% of the route is on highways, the majority involves navigating through local streets, indicated by the 'Turn-heavy local drive' profile. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be about 14.4 miles on the Tri-State Tollway. This means you'll experience a dynamic driving environment, shifting between faster tollway speeds and more frequent adjustments on urban and suburban roads as you make your way from Riverdale to Aurora.

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 14.4 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 3.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.6 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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
3.8 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the ramp toward I 294 North: Wisconsin

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 8 Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
8
18.8 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis

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

Use the right lane. Exit 23B Toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis
7
18.9 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 55 South: Saint Louis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
21.9 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road

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 274 Toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road
8
22.1 mi into trip | ~32m in

Keep slight right at fork toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road

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 Riverdale, IL to Aurora, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Saint Louis along the way.

Saint Louis

18.8 mi in | ~27m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 14.4 mi 17m
75th Street 13.5 mi 23m
East New York Street 6 mi 10m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 2.7 mi 3m
East 147th Street 2.6 mi 5m
Illinois Route 59 1.1 mi 2m
Halsted Street 0.7 mi 1m
Kingery Highway 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 14.4 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Riverdale, IL and Aurora, IL.

1

Start on West 144th Street

37 ft · 6 sec · West 144th Street
2

Continue on West 144th Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · West 144th Street
Use the left lane.
3

At end of road, turn left onto IL 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · Halsted Street
4

Turn right onto IL 83

2.6 mi · 5 min · East 147th Street
5

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 8 Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 294

14 mi · 17 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

449 ft · 11 sec
Exit 23B Toward I 55 South: Wolf Road, Saint Louis Use the right lane.
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Merge onto I 55

2.7 mi · 3 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 274 Toward IL 83 North, IL 83 South: Kingery Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto IL 83

0.5 mi · 45 sec · Kingery Highway
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto 75th Street

13 mi · 23 min · 75th Street
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto IL 59

1.1 mi · 2 min · Illinois Route 59
Use the left lane.
15

Turn left onto East New York Street

6.0 mi · 10 min · East New York Street
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left onto IL 31

417 ft · 14 sec · North Lake Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
17

Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 9 sec · West Galena Boulevard
18

Arrive at destination

West Galena Boulevard

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 21.8 mi from Riverdale, IL · 31m into the drive

suburb of Chicago in Illinois, USA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Woodridge, IL

22 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

Orland Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downers Grove, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Riverdale, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Aurora, IL

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

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.82 one way

$13.63 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.48 $14.97
premium $4.89 $8.39 $16.78
diesel $5.61 $9.63 $19.25

Estimated Tolls: $0.86

Tri-state Tollway (14.4 mi) $0.86

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.1 0 $4.58 $2.09
Efficient EV 10.9 0 $3.82 $1.74
EV Truck/SUV 17.4 0 $6.10 $2.79

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Riverdale, IL

Afternoon in Riverdale on Friday

Local time

1:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Aurora, IL

Afternoon in Aurora on Friday

Local time

1:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

67°F

Woodridge, IL

22 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

1 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

1h 10m 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 Riverdale, IL to Aurora, IL covers 43.6 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, 75th Street, East New York Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 21.8 miles from Riverdale, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.82 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.6 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Riverdale, IL to Aurora, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Saint Louis 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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