Origin
Summit, IL
Night in Summit on Friday
Local time
11:03 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Summit, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
18.7 mi
30 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.
Summit, IL
Rodrigo Contreras Elvira
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Summit, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 18.7 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 1st Avenue, Des Plaines River Road, South Des Plaines River Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.6 miles on 1st Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.92 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Des Plaines, IL
Full guide →Des Plaines is in Chicagoland. It is an inner-ring, northwest suburb of Chicago with two distinct portions: a suburban northern portion reminiscient of other, nearby northwest suburbs (including Niles, Park Ridge, and Mount Prospect), as well as a built-up southern portion with the businesses, hotels, and other amenities of the O'Hare Airport corridor (much like Rosemont, Chicago's O'Hare neighborhood, and Elk Grove Village).
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 38m. Total distance: 18.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m 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 38m drive with frequent turns across 18.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 7 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
1st Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 9.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near IL 171 / 1st Avenue.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Summit, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 38m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (IL 171 / 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (Henry Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
2 of 2 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 171 / 1st Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto IL 171 / 1st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
18.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
Henry Avenue
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Avenue | 9.6 mi | 19m |
| Des Plaines River Road | 4.3 mi | 8m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| North River Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| South Archer Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Henry Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
1st Avenue
— 9.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Summit, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on IL 171
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
South Archer Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto IL 171
9.6 mi
·
19 min
·
1st Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto Des Plaines River Road
4.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Des Plaines River Road
4
Continue on North River Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
North River Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on South Des Plaines River Road
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
6
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
7
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.92 one way
$5.85 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.13 | $8.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 Friday
Local time
11:03 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
16 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
38m 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 Summit, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 18.7 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 1st Avenue, Des Plaines River Road, South Des Plaines River Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.3 miles from Summit, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.92 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.
The drive from Summit, IL to Des Plaines, IL is easy. At 38m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (IL 171 / 1st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (Henry Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Summit, 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.
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 Des Plaines, IL
More trips to Des Plaines, IL
Explore more options from Summit, IL or browse trips ending in Des Plaines, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.