Origin
Westmont, IL
Late night in Westmont on Saturday
Local time
3:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Westmont, IL to Elgin, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
29 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Westmont, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Westmont, IL to Elgin, IL covers 29 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Veterans Memorial Tollway, Lake Street, West Lake Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.5 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.53 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Elgin, IL
Full guide →Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 29 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m 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 46m drive with frequent turns across 29 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Veterans Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 7.5 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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near Oak Brook Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 29 miles you will encounter 13 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 2.6 miles (Oak Brook Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Oak Brook Road
Turn left onto Oak Brook Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
4.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
Highland Avenue
Turn right onto Highland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
4.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Turn slight left toward IL 56 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward IL 56 West
5
5.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
7
13.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward US 20: Lake Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 31
Toward US 20: Lake Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 7.5 mi | 9m |
| Lake Street | 6.6 mi | 11m |
| West Lake Street | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Villa Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| North Cass Avenue | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Oak Brook Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| 31st Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Butterfield Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 7.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Westmont, IL and Elgin, IL.
1
Start on West Burlington Avenue
78 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Burlington Avenue
2
Turn left onto North Cass Avenue
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North Cass Avenue
3
Continue on Midwest Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Midwest Road
4
Turn left onto Oak Brook Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Oak Brook Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on 31st Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
31st Street
6
Turn right onto Highland Avenue
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Highland Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn slight left
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
Toward IL 56 West
Use the left lane.
8
Turn straight onto IL 56
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Butterfield Road
Use the left lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
Use the right lane.
10
Merge onto I 355
7.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 31
Toward US 20: Lake Street
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left
113 ft
·
4 sec
Use the left lane.
13
Turn straight onto US 20
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Lake Street
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on US 20
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
15
Continue on US 20
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
West Lake Street
16
Continue on US 20
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway
17
Turn slight left onto Villa Street
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Villa Street
Toward Villa Street
Use the slight left lane.
18
Turn left
311 ft
·
28 sec
19
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
20
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.53 one way
$9.07 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.98 | $9.96 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.58 | $11.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.40 | $12.81 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.52
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(7.5 mi)
$0.52
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $1.86 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Elgin, IL
Late night in Elgin on Saturday
Local time
3:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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
17 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
46m 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 Westmont, IL to Elgin, IL covers 29 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Veterans Memorial Tollway, Lake Street, West Lake Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.5 miles from Westmont, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.53 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 29 miles you will encounter 13 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 2.6 miles (Oak Brook Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Westmont, IL to Elgin, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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.
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