Origin
South Lawndale, IL
Night in South Lawndale on Thursday
Local time
11:36 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Lawndale, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
37m
Distance
18.2 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Lawndale, IL
NIKOLAI FOMIN
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from South Lawndale, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 18.2 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Pulaski Road, North Northwest Highway, North Milwaukee Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.3 miles on South Pulaski Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.85 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 18.2 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%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 37m drive with frequent turns across 18.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Pulaski Road is the longest continuous segment at about 5.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West 26th Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.2 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles (West 26th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South Central Park Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West 25th Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 26th Street
Turn left onto West 26th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Central Park Avenue
Turn right onto South Central Park Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West 25th Street
Turn left onto West 25th Street
Navigation decision point
7
6.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
West Belden Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
7.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
North Milwaukee Avenue
Turn left onto North Milwaukee Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Pulaski Road | 5.3 mi | 10m |
| North Northwest Highway | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Pulaski Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West 25th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Pulaski Road
— 5.3 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Lawndale, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on South Saint Louis Avenue
283 ft
·
24 sec
·
South Saint Louis Avenue
2
Turn left onto West 26th Street
0.1 mi
·
40 sec
·
West 26th Street
3
Turn right onto South Central Park Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
South Central Park Avenue
4
Turn left onto West 25th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 25th Street
5
Turn right onto South Pulaski Road
5.3 mi
·
10 min
·
South Pulaski Road
6
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
170 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Pulaski Road
8
Turn left onto North Milwaukee Avenue
3.1 mi
·
6 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto North Northwest Highway
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Northwest Highway
10
Continue on North Northwest Highway
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
North Northwest Highway
11
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Touhy Avenue
12
Turn slight right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
13
Turn slight left onto Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
15
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.85 one way
$5.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.12 | $6.25 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.50 | $7.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.02 | $8.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.91 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Des Plaines, IL
Night in Des Plaines on Thursday
Local time
11:36 PM
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
23 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 South Lawndale, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 18.2 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Pulaski Road, North Northwest Highway, North Milwaukee Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.1 miles from South Lawndale, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.85 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 18.2 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles (West 26th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South Central Park Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West 25th Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from South Lawndale, IL to Des Plaines, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.
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