Skip to main content
Trip.ovh Logo
Trip.ovh

Trip from Waukegan, IL to Romeoville, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 24m

Distance

61.8 mi

99 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 18m ★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
village in Will County, Illinois, United States

Romeoville, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Waukegan, IL to Romeoville, IL covers 61.8 miles and takes about 1h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, Adlai Stevenson Expressway, Belvidere Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 42.6 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.66 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 61.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 24m 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 1h 24m drive with frequent turns across 61.8 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.
Tri-State Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 42.6 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 18.9 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 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 14 key points

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

8
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
6
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.
6
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
7
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
7
57.9 mi into trip | ~1h 16m in

Take the exit toward IL 53: Bolingbrook

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 267 Toward IL 53: Bolingbrook

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 Romeoville, IL, road signs point toward O'hare and St. Louis.

O'hare

18.9 mi in | ~25m | via I 294

St. Louis

47.6 mi in | ~1h 1m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Tri-State Tollway 42.6 mi 51m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 9.2 mi 12m
Belvidere Road 2.2 mi 3m
Independence Boulevard 1.7 mi 3m
Belvidere Street 1.6 mi 3m
South Bolingbrook Drive 1.3 mi 2m
North Jackson Street 0.5 mi 1m
Belmont Drive 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Tri-State Tollway — 42.6 mi, about 51m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on North Jackson Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Jackson Street
2

Turn right onto Glen Rock Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Glen Rock Avenue
3

Turn right onto Belvidere Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Street
4

Continue on IL 120

2.2 mi · 3 min · Belvidere Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
6

Merge onto I 94

14 mi · 15 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

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.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 294

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 294

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 23 Toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis Use the slight right lane.
12

Merge onto I 55

9.2 mi · 12 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Exit 267 Toward IL 53: Bolingbrook Use the slight right lane.
14

Turn left onto IL 53

1.3 mi · 2 min · South Bolingbrook Drive
15

Turn right onto IL 53

1.7 mi · 3 min · Independence Boulevard
Use the right lane.
16

Turn right onto Belmont Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · Belmont Drive
17

Turn left onto Kingston Drive

41 ft · 1 sec · Kingston Drive
18

Arrive at destination

Kingston Drive

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 30.9 mi from Waukegan, IL · 40m into the drive

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Des Plaines, IL

31 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

Buffalo Grove, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Des Plaines, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 30.9 miles from Waukegan, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Romeoville, IL

The final approach into Romeoville, 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

$9.66 one way

$19.32 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $10.61 $21.22
premium $4.89 $11.89 $23.79
diesel $5.61 $13.64 $27.29

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.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Tolls

$3

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.5 0 $6.49 $2.97
Efficient EV 15.5 0 $5.41 $2.47
EV Truck/SUV 24.7 0 $8.65 $3.96

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Waukegan, IL

Late night in Waukegan on Saturday

Local time

12:37 AM

CDT

Current temp

43°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

Destination

Romeoville, IL

Late night in Romeoville on Saturday

Local time

12:37 AM

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

8 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 24m 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 Waukegan, IL to Romeoville, IL covers 61.8 miles and takes about 1h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, Adlai Stevenson Expressway, Belvidere Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 30.9 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 $9.66 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 61.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 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.

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

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

Explore More

Continue From Romeoville, IL

Belleville, IL 265.2 mi · 5h Peoria, IL 136.7 mi · 2h 35m Calumet City, IL 37.3 mi · 57m Chicago, IL 28.8 mi · 45m

More from Waukegan, IL

Anna, IL 385.3 mi · 7h 15m Brighton, IL 305.2 mi · 5h 58m Carrollton, IL 298.9 mi · 5h 40m Sumner, IL 297.7 mi · 6h 10m Edinburg, IL 244.1 mi · 4h 46m Canton, IL 225.4 mi · 4h 27m

More trips to Romeoville, IL

Palatine, IL 35.5 mi Joliet, IL 9.4 mi
Weekend drives from Waukegan, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Waukegan, IL or browse trips ending in Romeoville, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.