Origin
Waukegan, IL
Afternoon in Waukegan on Friday
Local time
1:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waukegan, IL to Buffalo Grove, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
23.6 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo Grove, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Waukegan, IL to Buffalo Grove, IL covers 23.6 miles and takes about 34m 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, Lake Cook Road, Belvidere Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.5 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.69 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 23.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 34m drive with frequent turns across 23.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 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 13.5 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 5.1 miles in near I 94 / Tri-State Tollway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.1 miles (I 94 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
5.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 94 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 94 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.5 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward Lake-Cook Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 25A
Toward Lake-Cook Road
7
19 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Riverwoods
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward Riverwoods
4
23.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Weiland Road
Turn left onto Weiland Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
23.5 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Aptakisic Road
Turn right onto Aptakisic Road
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Waukegan, IL to Buffalo Grove, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Riverwoods along the way.
Riverwoods
19 mi in
|
~26m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 13.5 mi | 15m |
| Lake Cook Road | 4 mi | 6m |
| Belvidere Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Belvidere Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| North Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Glen Rock Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Weiland Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Buffalo Grove Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 13.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukegan, IL and Buffalo Grove, 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
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 25A
Toward Lake-Cook Road
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
473 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Riverwoods
Use the left / right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto Lake Cook Road
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Lake Cook Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto Weiland Road
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Weiland Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn slight right
157 ft
·
6 sec
12
Turn slight right onto South Buffalo Grove Road
158 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Buffalo Grove Road
13
Turn right onto Aptakisic Road
60 ft
·
2 sec
·
Aptakisic Road
14
Arrive at destination
Aptakisic Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.69 one way
$7.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.05 | $8.10 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.54 | $9.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.21 | $10.42 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.81
Tri-state Tollway
(13.5 mi)
$0.81
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Buffalo Grove, IL
Afternoon in Buffalo Grove on Friday
Local time
1:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°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
4 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
34m 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 Buffalo Grove, IL covers 23.6 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, Lake Cook Road, Belvidere Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.8 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 $3.69 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 is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.1 miles (I 94 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Waukegan, IL to Buffalo Grove, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Riverwoods along the way.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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