Origin
West Lawn, IL
Night in West Lawn on Thursday
Local time
9:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
44m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 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 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Lawn, IL
Tyler Mascola
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from West Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 22.5 miles and takes about 44m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Pulaski Road, North Northwest Highway, North Milwaukee Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on South Pulaski Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 44m drive with frequent turns across 22.5 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.
South Pulaski Road is the longest continuous segment at about 10.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 66th Place.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 22.5 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (West 66th Place): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Pulaski Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.5 miles (West Belden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 66th Place
Turn right onto West 66th Place
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Pulaski Road
Turn right onto South Pulaski Road
Navigation decision point
7
10.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
West Belden Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
10.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
North Pulaski Road
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
Navigation decision point
5
11.8 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
North Milwaukee Avenue
Turn left onto North Milwaukee Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Pulaski Road | 10.4 mi | 20m |
| North Northwest Highway | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Pulaski Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Des Plaines River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Pulaski Road
— 10.4 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Lawn, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on this road
187 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 66th Place
161 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 66th Place
3
Turn right onto South Pulaski Road
10 mi
·
20 min
·
South Pulaski Road
4
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
170 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Pulaski Road
6
Turn left onto North Milwaukee Avenue
3.1 mi
·
6 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left onto North Northwest Highway
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Northwest Highway
8
Continue on North Northwest Highway
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
North Northwest Highway
9
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Touhy Avenue
10
Turn slight right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
11
Turn slight left onto Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
13
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.52 one way
$7.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.86 | $7.72 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.33 | $8.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 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 | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
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
Des Plaines, IL
Night in Des Plaines on Thursday
Local time
9:53 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
2 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
44m 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 West Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 22.5 miles and takes about 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Pulaski Road, North Northwest Highway, North Milwaukee Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.3 miles from West Lawn, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.52 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 22.5 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (West 66th Place): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Pulaski Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.5 miles (West Belden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from West Lawn, 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.
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