Trip from Waukegan, IL to Bellevue, IL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

3h 56m

Distance

201.7 mi

325 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$32

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min

4 AM

3h 43m ★

6 AM

3h 56m

8 AM

4h 22m

10 AM

4h 5m

12 PM

4h 3m

3 PM

4h 6m

5 PM

4h 21m

8 PM

3h 48m

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

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Bellevue, IL

Armin Forster

Trip Overview

The drive from Waukegan, IL to Bellevue, IL covers 201.7 miles and takes about 3h 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Adlai Stevenson Expressway, Tri-State Tollway, I 74 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 113 miles on Adlai Stevenson Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.53 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

100.8 miles from Waukegan, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 1m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 56m. Total distance: 201.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

3h 56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 3h 56m highway drive covering 201.7 miles, with most of the trip on Adlai Stevenson Expressway and Tri-State Tollway. The longest continuous stretch is about 113 miles on Adlai Stevenson Expressway.

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

There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Adlai Stevenson Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 113 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Adlai Stevenson Expressway 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.

Driving Effort 9/10

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

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 201.7 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 16 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

189.7 mi into trip | ~3h 40m in | I 474

Keep slight left at fork onto I 474 toward I 474 West: Moline, Rock Island

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 99 Toward I 474 West: Moline, Rock Island

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 Bellevue, IL, road signs point toward O'hare, St. Louis and Rock Island.

O'hare

18.9 mi in | ~25m | via I 294

St. Louis

47.6 mi in | ~1h 1m

Rock Island

189.7 mi in | ~3h 40m | via I 474

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Adlai Stevenson Expressway	113 mi	2h 6m
Tri-State Tollway	42.6 mi	51m
I 74	27.4 mi	29m
I 474	9.3 mi	9m
Belvidere Road	2.2 mi	3m
Belvidere Street	1.6 mi	3m
West Plank Road	1.3 mi	2m
South Airport Road	0.7 mi	1m

Longest stretch: Adlai Stevenson Expressway — 113 mi, about 2h 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Waukegan, IL and Bellevue, 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

113 mi · 2 hr 6 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 49 sec

Toward I 74 West: Peoria Use the slight right lane.

Continue on I 74

27 mi · 29 min · I 74

Keep slight left at fork onto I 474

9.3 mi · 9 min · I 474

Exit 99 Toward I 474 West: Moline, Rock Island

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec

Toward Airport Road

Turn right onto South Airport Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Airport Road

Turn sharp left onto IL 116

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Plank Road

Turn left onto South Main Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · South Main Street

Turn left onto West Closen Road

72 ft · 3 sec · West Closen Road

Arrive at destination

West Closen Road

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 100.8 miles from Waukegan, IL, or about 2h 1m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 113 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 44 miles or 57m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 100.8 miles or 2h 1m 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 14m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bellevue, 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 201.7 miles and 3h 56m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 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 Adlai Stevenson Expressway for about 113 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 100.8 mi from Waukegan, IL · 2h 1m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Joliet, IL

101 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

Elmhurst, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 44 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Joliet, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 100.8 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 Adlai Stevenson Expressway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 113 miles.

Arriving in Bellevue, IL

The final approach into Bellevue, 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 Bellevue, IL.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$31.53 one way

$63.07 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 71 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$34.62	$69.25
premium	$4.89	$38.82	$77.63
diesel	$5.61	$44.53	$89.07

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

$32

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$59–$84

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 70.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	60.5	0	$21.18	$9.68
Efficient EV	50.4	0	$17.65	$8.07
EV Truck/SUV	80.7	1	$28.24	$12.91

Gas CO2

71 kg

EV CO2

24 kg (66% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Waukegan, IL

Afternoon in Waukegan on Thursday

Local time

12:58 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bellevue, IL

Afternoon in Bellevue on Thursday

Local time

12:58 PM

CDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

3h 56m 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 Waukegan, IL to Bellevue, IL covers 201.7 miles and takes about 3h 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Adlai Stevenson Expressway, Tri-State Tollway, I 74. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 100.8 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 $31.53 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.