A Bartlett-area trip to O'Hare typically starts on IL-390 — a road whose original name, the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, promised a direct link to both places in its name. In practice, it's never quite delivered on either: it doesn't reach Elgin, and until a still-unfunded extension is built, it doesn't reach O'Hare directly either. It's a genuinely useful road, just one with a more complicated backstory than its name suggests. See the current Bartlett to O'Hare fare →
The Road That Doesn't Quite Reach Either Name in Its Title
IL-390 began life as the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, opened in 1993 to relieve congestion on local roads like Lake Street in the fast-growing western suburbs. Despite the name, the original highway never actually reached Elgin on one end or O'Hare on the other — it ran between US-20 in Hanover Park and Illinois Route 83 near Bensenville, falling short of both namesakes. In 2013, the road was redesignated IL-390 as part of a much larger project meant to finally close that gap.
What's Actually Being Built, and What Isn't Yet
The $3.4 billion Elgin-O'Hare Western Access project has extended IL-390 eastward in phases, adding new interchanges and finally giving the corridor a real connection toward O'Hare's western side through a planned new tollway (I-490). That eastern extension has made real progress over the past decade.
The western end — the stretch that would actually reach toward Elgin, closer to Bartlett — is a different story. As of the most recent public updates, that extension remains in the planning and study phase, with proposals now favoring an arterial road rather than a full tollway, and no committed construction funding or timeline. In practical terms: the "Elgin" half of the original name is still mostly aspirational from the Bartlett side.
None of this affects your actual trip — Bartlett-area rides reach O'Hare just fine via IL-390 connecting to I-290/I-90 — but it's a genuinely interesting piece of regional infrastructure history if you've ever wondered why a road named for two specific places doesn't actually touch either one.
Bartlett's Unusual Three-County Footprint
Separately from the highway story, Bartlett itself has a quirk worth knowing if you're double-checking an address: the village spans three counties — Cook, DuPage, and Kane — a rarer arrangement than the two-county overlaps found in several nearby suburbs. It doesn't affect your fare or route, but it's worth having your full address ready when you book, since which county a specific Bartlett address falls in isn't always obvious from the village name alone.
Timing From Bartlett
Bartlett-area trips to O'Hare typically route via IL-390 and I-290/I-90 connections. Under normal conditions, that's about 32 minutes. A few things that change it:
- Weekday rush hour (roughly 6:30–9:00am and 3:30–6:30pm) can add 10–20 minutes.
- IL-390 is fully electronic, cash-free, using all-electronic toll gantries along its length. With I-PASS, tolls typically run a few dollars total; without a transponder, expect a mailed bill at a higher rate. Rates are set by the Illinois Tollway and are subject to change — confirm current pricing at illinoistollway.com.
General buffer guidance: arrive about 2 hours before boarding for domestic flights and about 3 hours before boarding for international flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does IL-390 actually go to O'Hare?
It connects toward O'Hare via I-290/I-90 and the ongoing eastern extension, but the historic promise of a direct link is still a work in progress on parts of the corridor — your actual trip still reaches O'Hare reliably via the connecting highways.
Why was the road renamed from the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway to IL-390?
The redesignation happened in 2013 alongside the launch of a major expansion project aimed at finally extending the corridor closer to both namesakes — the new name reflects its evolution into a modern tollway.
Will IL-390 ever actually reach Elgin?
A westward extension has been studied for years, but as of recent updates it remains unfunded, with current proposals favoring an arterial road rather than a full expressway. There's no confirmed construction timeline.
Does the three-county footprint affect my Bartlett pickup?
Not for pricing or routing, but it's worth having your exact address ready when you book, since Bartlett addresses can technically fall in Cook, DuPage, or Kane County.
Is IL-390 tolled the whole way?
Yes — it's a fully electronic tollway along its current stretch, with tolls collected via I-PASS or mailed billing.
See the current Bartlett to O'Hare flat rate and book your ride →
Flying back into O'Hare instead? See pickup details for O'Hare to Bartlett →
Related Reads
All Published Airport Taxi Rates · O'Hare Terminal Pickup Guides · Hanover Park to O'Hare · Streamwood to O'Hare · Roselle to O'Hare · Carol Stream to O'Hare · Bloomingdale to O'Hare
Highway project details referenced in this guide reflect publicly available Illinois Tollway and IDOT information as of 2026 and are subject to change. Confirm current project status at illinoistollway.com and current toll rates before your trip.
Compare the dedicated airport transportation pages for Bartlett, including current published fares, vehicle options and booking information.
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