Origin
Woodridge, IL
Evening in Woodridge on Friday
Local time
8:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Woodridge, IL to Palatine, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
28.1 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Woodridge, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Palatine, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 28.1-mile journey from Woodridge, IL, to Palatine, IL, is a straightforward drive that takes about 39 minutes. It's designed as a single-day trip, so no overnight stays are necessary. You'll primarily use Veterans Memorial Tollway and I-290, with a smaller portion on IL 53. The estimated fuel cost is around $4, making it an economical option for local travel within the Midwest. This route offers a practical way to navigate between these two Illinois communities without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 28.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m 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 route that leans heavily on local roads, with a highway share of 28%. While you'll experience some interstate driving, including a longest stretch of 16.2 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway, the overall profile is 'turn-heavy.' This means you'll be navigating more intersections and changes in direction compared to a pure highway cruise. The drive will likely involve a mix of faster highway segments and slower, more controlled local road sections as you approach your destination.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 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 16.2 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 0.2 miles in near 75th Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
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 28.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (75th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles (IL 53): 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
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
75th Street
Turn right onto 75th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward I 355 North: Northwest Suburbs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 355 North: Northwest Suburbs
6
23.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
25.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Kirchoff Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Kirchoff Road
6
28.1 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
East Palatine Road
Turn left onto East Palatine Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 16.2 mi | 20m |
| I 290 | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| IL 53 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Hicks Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| 75th Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Northwest Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Woodridge Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kirchoff Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 16.2 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Woodridge, IL and Palatine, IL.
1
Start on Woodridge Drive
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
Woodridge Drive
2
Turn right onto 75th Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
75th Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 355 North: Northwest Suburbs
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 355
16 mi
·
20 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 290
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward Kirchoff Road
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto Kirchoff Road
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Kirchoff Road
9
Turn right onto West Frontage Road
400 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Frontage Road
10
Continue on Hicks Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Hicks Road
11
Turn left onto US 14
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
East Northwest Highway
12
Turn left onto East Palatine Road
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Palatine Road
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
East Palatine Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.39 one way
$8.79 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.82 | $9.65 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.41 | $10.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.20 | $12.41 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.13
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(16.2 mi)
$1.13
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
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 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 | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
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
Palatine, IL
Evening in Palatine on Friday
Local time
8:13 PM
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
2 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
39m 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 Woodridge, IL to Palatine, IL covers 28.1 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Veterans Memorial Tollway, I 290, IL 53. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.1 miles from Woodridge, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.39 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 28.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (75th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Woodridge, IL to Palatine, 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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