Origin
Winfield, IL
Late night in Winfield on Friday
Local time
4:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Winfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
24.7 mi
40 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 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Winfield, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Winfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 24.7 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, East North Avenue, West Geneva Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 24.7 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.
Drive Character
Expect a 46m drive with frequent turns across 24.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 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 4 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 5.5 miles in near IL 64 / East North Avenue.
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 15 decision points packed into just 24.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.5 miles (IL 64 / East North Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.3 miles (I 290): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
IL 64 / East North Avenue
Turn right onto IL 64 / East North Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
8.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Turn left toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
5
13.3 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 290
Merge onto I 290
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
15.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward IL 53 South: Biesterfield Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4
Toward IL 53 South: Biesterfield Road
6
16 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
IL 53 / Biesterfield Road
Turn right onto IL 53 / Biesterfield Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 4 mi | 4m |
| East North Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| West Geneva Road | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| East Oakton Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| I 290 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| North Winfield Road | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| South Arlington Heights Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Oakton Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 4 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Winfield, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on this road
102 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Winfield Road
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
North Winfield Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto West Geneva Road
2.6 mi
·
5 min
·
West Geneva Road
4
Turn left onto South Schmale Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Schmale Road
5
Turn right onto IL 64
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
East North Avenue
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 355 Toll North: Northwest Suburbs
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 355
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
8
Merge onto I 290
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 4
Toward IL 53 South: Biesterfield Road
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto IL 53
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Biesterfield Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto South Arlington Heights Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Arlington Heights Road
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto Oakton Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Oakton Street
13
Continue on IL 83
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Oakton Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on West Oakton Street
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
West Oakton Street
15
Continue on West Oakton Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Oakton Street
16
Continue on East Oakton Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakton Street
17
Turn left onto US 12; US 45
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Lee Street
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto East Algonquin Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Algonquin Road
19
Turn left onto White Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
White Street
20
Turn right onto Henry Avenue
262 ft
·
11 sec
·
Henry Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.86 one way
$7.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.24 | $8.48 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.75 | $9.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.45 | $10.91 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.28
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(4 mi)
$0.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.46 | $1.58 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Late night in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
4:56 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
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 Winfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 24.7 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, East North Avenue, West Geneva Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.4 miles from Winfield, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.86 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 15 decision points packed into just 24.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.5 miles (IL 64 / East North Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.3 miles (I 290): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Winfield, IL to Des Plaines, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Des Plaines, IL
More from Winfield, IL
More trips to Des Plaines, IL
Explore more options from Winfield, IL or browse trips ending in Des Plaines, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.