Origin
Romeoville, IL
Morning in Romeoville on Friday
Local time
8:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Romeoville, IL to Elgin, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
39 mi
63 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Romeoville, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Romeoville, IL to Elgin, IL covers 39 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Veterans Memorial Tollway, Lake Street, West Lake Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.7 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 39 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m 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 58m drive with frequent turns across 39 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.
Veterans Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 17.7 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 4.5 miles in.
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 11 decision points packed into just 39 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 6.2 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
4.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 355 Toll: Suburbs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 355 Toll: Suburbs
5
5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 355 North: Northwest Suburbs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 355 North: Northwest Suburbs
5
6.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
23.8 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward US 20: Lake Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 31
Toward US 20: Lake Street
5
24.3 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Romeoville, IL to Elgin, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.
Chicago
4.5 mi in
|
~8m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 17.7 mi | 22m |
| Lake Street | 6.6 mi | 11m |
| West Lake Street | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Villa Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Joliet Road | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Independence Boulevard | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Belmont Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 17.7 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Romeoville, IL and Elgin, IL.
1
Start on Kingston Drive
41 ft
·
4 sec
·
Kingston Drive
2
Turn right onto Belmont Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Belmont Drive
3
Turn left onto IL 53
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Independence Boulevard
4
Continue on Joliet Road
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Joliet Road
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
108 ft
·
2 sec
Toward I 355 South Toll, I 55 North: Suburbs, Chicago
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 355 Toll: Suburbs
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 355 North: Northwest Suburbs
8
Merge onto I 355
18 mi
·
22 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 31
Toward US 20: Lake Street
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left
113 ft
·
4 sec
Use the left lane.
11
Turn straight onto US 20
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left lane.
12
Continue on US 20
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
13
Continue on US 20
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
West Lake Street
14
Continue on US 20
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
15
Turn slight left onto Villa Street
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Villa Street
Toward Villa Street
Use the slight left lane.
16
Turn left
311 ft
·
28 sec
17
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
18
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19.5 mi from Romeoville, IL · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.5 miles from Romeoville, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Elgin, IL
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Elgin, 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
$6.10 one way
$12.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.69 | $13.39 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.61 | $17.22 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.24
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(17.7 mi)
$1.24
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: 13.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.87 |
| Efficient EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.41 | $1.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.46 | $2.50 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Elgin, IL
Morning in Elgin on Friday
Local time
8:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Widespread Fog
SE 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 1:55AM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 1:55AM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
71°F
Bloomingdale, IL
20 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
58m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Romeoville, IL to Elgin, IL covers 39 miles and takes about 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Veterans Memorial Tollway, Lake Street, West Lake Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 19.5 miles from Romeoville, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.10 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 11 decision points packed into just 39 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 6.2 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Romeoville, IL to Elgin, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago 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.
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