How far is Arlington Heights, IL from Cary, NC?
The driving distance from Arlington Heights, IL to Cary, NC is about 814.3 miles (1310.5 km), with a travel time of about 15h 57m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 657.8 miles (1058.7 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 31h 54m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
Gas Cost Calculator
Leave and Arrive Planner
Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.
Drive time stays fixed at 15h 57m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
City in Ohio, United States of America
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Arlington Heights and Cary.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington Heights and Cary.
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1
Start on East Euclid Avenue
15 m · 6 sec · East Euclid Avenue
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2
Turn right onto North Arlington Heights Road
1948 ft · 1 min · North Arlington Heights Road
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3
Turn left onto East Northwest Highway
4 mi · 6 min · East Northwest Highway
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4
Turn left onto State Street
1013 ft · 29 sec · State Street
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5
Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward East Golf Road
49 m · 3 sec · East Golf Road
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6
Exit the roundabout onto East Golf Road
3.7 mi · 6 min · East Golf Road
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7
Turn right onto North Milwaukee Avenue
3.5 mi · 6 min · North Milwaukee Avenue
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8
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
1.1 km · 1 min · West Touhy Avenue
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9
Turn right onto North Caldwell Avenue
2.4 mi · 4 min · North Caldwell Avenue
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10
Take the ramp straight toward I 94 East
1370 ft · 35 sec
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11
Merge slight left onto Edens Expressway
2.1 mi · 2 min · Edens Expressway
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12
Continue on Kennedy Expressway
8.1 mi · 12 min · Kennedy Expressway
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13
Continue on Dan Ryan Expressway
2.4 mi · 3 min · Dan Ryan Expressway
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14
Keep slight left to continue on Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
3.8 mi · 5 min · Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
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15
Take the exit slight right toward I 90 East
2183 ft · 53 sec
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16
Merge slight right onto Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
2612 ft · 50 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
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17
Keep slight left to continue on Chicago Skyway
4.5 mi · 7 min · Chicago Skyway
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18
Turn straight onto Chicago Skyway
591 ft · 14 sec · Chicago Skyway
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19
Merge slight left onto Chicago Skyway
3.1 mi · 5 min · Chicago Skyway
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20
Continue on Indiana Toll Road
1.6 km · 2 min · Indiana Toll Road
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21
Turn straight onto Indiana Toll Road
961 ft · 2 min · Indiana Toll Road
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22
Merge slight right onto Indiana Toll Road
1.8 mi · 2 min · Indiana Toll Road
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23
Keep slight left to continue on Indiana Toll Road
11.3 mi · 12 min · Indiana Toll Road
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24
Take the exit slight right toward SR 53: Broadway
1534 ft · 49 sec
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25
Turn right onto Broadway
1028 ft · 38 sec · Broadway
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26
Turn left onto East 5th Avenue
1.6 mi · 3 min · East 5th Avenue
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27
Turn right onto Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
132.6 mi · 2 hr 25 min · Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
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28
Keep slight right
5.1 mi · 6 min
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29
Merge slight right
12.5 mi · 15 min
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30
Merge slight right
5.7 mi · 7 min
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31
Take the exit slight right toward I 70: Dayton, Indianapolis
1087 ft · 17 sec
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32
Keep slight left to continue on I 70: Dayton, Indianapolis
44 m · 2 sec
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33
Keep slight left to continue on I 70 East: Dayton
1 km · 1 min
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34
Merge slight left onto Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
68.1 mi · 1 hr 19 min · Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
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35
Keep slight left
24.2 mi · 26 min
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36
Keep slight right to continue on SR 49 South: Clayton, Trotwood
10 mi · 15 min
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37
Continue on West 1st Street
116 m · 7 sec · West 1st Street
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38
Continue on West 1st Street
11 m · 1 sec · West 1st Street
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39
Continue on West 1st Street
2425 ft · 58 sec · West 1st Street
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40
Turn right onto North Ludlow Street
1.1 km · 1 min · North Ludlow Street
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41
Take the ramp straight toward US 35 East: Xenia
2382 ft · 58 sec
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42
Merge slight left
33.9 mi · 42 min
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43
Keep slight left to continue on US 35 East: Washington Court House
44.7 mi · 49 min
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44
Keep slight left
58.6 mi · 1 hr 8 min
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45
Keep slight right
9.8 mi · 11 min
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46
Continue on US 35
14.3 mi · 16 min · US 35
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47
Continue on Fruth-Lanham Highway
11.8 mi · 14 min · Fruth-Lanham Highway
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48
Continue straight
119 m · 7 sec
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49
Take the ramp slight right
2603 ft · 1 min
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50
Merge slight left
137.4 mi · 2 hr 36 min
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51
Continue straight
16 mi · 18 min
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52
Keep slight right to continue on I 77 South: Charlotte North Carolina
23.5 mi · 27 min
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53
Take the exit slight right toward VA 148, SR 775: Fancy Gap
1381 ft · 36 sec
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54
Turn straight onto Chance Creek Road
1.4 km · 1 min · Chance Creek Road
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55
At the end of the road, turn right onto Fancy Gap Highway
9.4 mi · 11 min · Fancy Gap Highway
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56
Continue on North Andy Griffith Parkway
31.6 mi · 36 min · North Andy Griffith Parkway
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57
Keep slight left to continue on NC 74 East
13.3 mi · 16 min
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58
Keep slight left to continue on US 421 South: Greensboro
1.1 mi · 2 min
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59
Merge slight left onto Salem Parkway
11.4 mi · 13 min · Salem Parkway
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60
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East: Greensboro, Martinsville
7.8 mi · 10 min
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61
Merge slight right
1.8 mi · 2 min
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62
Keep slight left
36.8 mi · 43 min
-
63
Keep slight right to continue on I 40 East: Raleigh
28.8 mi · 33 min
-
64
Take the exit slight right toward Cary
1091 ft · 23 sec
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65
Turn right onto North Harrison Avenue
3.1 mi · 6 min · North Harrison Avenue
-
66
Turn left onto Chapel Hill Road
625 ft · 24 sec · Chapel Hill Road
-
67
Turn left onto North Academy Street
7 m · 1 sec · North Academy Street
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68
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · North Academy Street
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Arlington Heights and Cary.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
Fruth-Lanham Highway
Merge slight left
137 mi · 02h 36m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Arlington Heights and Sunny near Cary.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Arlington Heights to Cary?
The road trip is about 814.3 miles (1310.5 km) and usually takes 15h 57m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Londonderry is a useful midpoint, sitting about 404.2 miles from Arlington Heights and 410.1 miles from Cary.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 657.8 miles (1058.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 156.5 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.
When is the best time to leave for this route?
A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $134.94 one way or $269.89 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 255.3 kg one way.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 1 hour time difference between Arlington Heights and Cary, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms around Arlington Heights and Sunny near Cary.
Stop Ideas Near Londonderry
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Londonderry.
South Portsmouth–South Shore station
Columbus, OH
Ashland Transportation Center
Huntington
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Arlington Heights and Cary. Straight-line distance: 657.85 mi (1058.71 km).
#1 Arlington Heights
Village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; suburb of Chicago, Illinois
| Population | 75,101 |
| Coordinates | 42.0883600, -87.9806300 |
| Altitude | 214 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Cary
Town in North Carolina, United States
| Population | 173,587 |
| Coordinates | 35.7915400, -78.7811200 |
| Altitude | 152 |
| Country | United States |
End: Cary (-78.78112, 35.79154)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 1311 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 27h 07m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 20h 21m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 16h 17m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 13h 34m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 11h 38m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 10h 09m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $4.70 | $134.94 | $269.89 |
| Mid-grade | $5.32 | $152.87 | $305.74 |
| Premium | $5.87 | $168.56 | $337.12 |
| Diesel | $6.58 | $188.99 | $377.97 |
Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.
Prices in Illinois · Oct 13, 2026