Trip from Waukegan, IL to Elmwood, IL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

4h 20m

Distance

217.1 mi

349 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$34

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min

4 AM

4h 7m ★

6 AM

4h 21m

8 AM

4h 47m

10 AM

4h 30m

12 PM

4h 27m

3 PM

4h 31m

5 PM

4h 46m

8 PM

4h 13m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood, IL

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Trip Overview

The drive from Waukegan, IL to Elmwood, IL covers 217.1 miles and takes about 4h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 80, Tri-State Tollway, IL 29 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 64.2 miles on I 80. At current regular gas prices, budget about $33.94 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

108.5 miles from Waukegan, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 12m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 4h 20m highway drive covering 217.1 miles, with most of the trip on I 80 and Tri-State Tollway. The longest continuous stretch is about 64.2 miles on I 80.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

I 80 is the longest continuous segment at about 64.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and Tri-State Tollway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 18.9 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.

Route Complexity 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 23 significant decision points across 217.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 18.9 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.4 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 47.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 23 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

18.9 mi into trip | ~25m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana, O'Hare

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana, O'Hare

46.4 mi into trip | ~59m in | I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

47.6 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in

Take the exit toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis

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

Exit 23 Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis

48.3 mi into trip | ~1h 2m in

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

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis

74.6 mi into trip | ~1h 36m in

Take the exit toward I 80 West: Iowa

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 250B Toward I 80 West: Iowa

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Waukegan, IL and Elmwood, IL, road signs point toward O'hare, St. Louis and Peoria.

O'hare

18.9 mi in | ~25m | via I 294

St. Louis

47.6 mi in | ~1h 1m

Peoria

149.4 mi in | ~2h 57m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 80	64.2 mi	1h 8m
Tri-State Tollway	42.6 mi	51m
IL 29	32.6 mi	38m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway	25.9 mi	32m
I 74	15 mi	16m
I 180	8.7 mi	9m
IL 6	8.6 mi	9m
IL 78	4.5 mi	7m

Longest stretch: I 80 — 64.2 mi, about 1h 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Waukegan, IL and Elmwood, IL.

Start on North Jackson Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Jackson Street

Turn right onto Glen Rock Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Glen Rock Avenue

Turn right onto Belvidere Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Street

Continue on IL 120

2.2 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Road

Use the straight / right lanes.

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 37 sec

Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago

Merge onto I 94

14 mi · 15 min · Tri-State Tollway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

23 mi · 28 min · Tri-State Tollway

Toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana, O'Hare Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tri-State Tollway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min

Exit 23 Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 56 sec

Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis Use the slight right lane.

Merge onto I 55

26 mi · 32 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min

Exit 250B Toward I 80 West: Iowa Use the slight right lane.

Merge onto I 80

64 mi · 1 hr 8 min · I 80

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min

Toward I 180 South: Hennepin

Continue on I 180

8.7 mi · 9 min · I 180

Keep slight right at fork

2.1 mi · 2 min

Toward Peoria

Continue on IL 29

33 mi · 38 min · IL 29

Continue on IL 29

0.1 mi · 14 sec · North Galena Road

Turn right

0.1 mi · 9 sec

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min

Continue on IL 6

8.6 mi · 9 min · IL 6

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 55 sec

Toward I 74 West: Galesburg

Merge onto I 74

15 mi · 16 min · I 74

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec

Toward Canton, Kewanee

At end of road, turn left onto C-34

0.6 mi · 57 sec · North Bell School Road

Turn right onto West Tucker Road

2.0 mi · 2 min · West Tucker Road

Turn left onto IL 78

4.5 mi · 7 min · IL 78

Turn right onto IL 8; IL 78

99 ft · 2 sec · West Main Street

Arrive at destination

IL 8; IL 78

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 108.5 miles from Waukegan, IL, or about 2h 12m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 64.2 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 48 miles or 1h 2m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 108.5 miles or 2h 12m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 31m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Elmwood, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Waukegan, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Waukegan, IL

This is one driving day of about 217.1 miles and 4h 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Waukegan, IL.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on I 80 for about 64.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 108.5 mi from Waukegan, IL · 2h 12m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Peru, IL

109 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

Downers Grove, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 48 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

DeKalb, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 108.5 miles from Waukegan, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 80 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 64.2 miles.

Arriving in Elmwood, IL

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

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Elmwood, IL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$33.94 one way

$67.88 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 76 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$37.27	$74.53
premium	$4.89	$41.78	$83.56
diesel	$5.61	$47.93	$95.87

Estimated Tolls: $2.55

Tri-state Tollway (42.6 mi) $2.55

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

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$34

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$61–$86

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 76 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	65.1	0	$22.80	$10.42
Efficient EV	54.3	0	$19.00	$8.68
EV Truck/SUV	86.8	1	$30.39	$13.89

Gas CO2

76 kg

EV CO2

25 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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

Waukegan, IL

Night in Waukegan on Wednesday

Local time

10:02 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Elmwood, IL

Night in Elmwood on Wednesday

Local time

10:02 PM

CDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

52°F

Peru, IL

109 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

9 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

4h 20m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Waukegan, IL to Elmwood, IL covers 217.1 miles and takes about 4h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 80, Tri-State Tollway, IL 29. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 108.5 miles from Waukegan, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $33.94 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.