Commute from Naperville to Schaumburg? (Chicago, Aurora: relocation companies, new house, purchase)

[Pinballseeker]

Hi all,

Very interesting forum. Have spent hours reading the posts and am starting to get some feel of the suburbs. Have searched and not seen this specific topic addressed yet. Will be relocating in June from California and am doing a lot of internet research, for what it is worth.

The commute from Northern or Central Naperville to Schaumburg... Google Maps indicates it is about 45 minutes. Would this be in the primary commute or reverse commute direction? Or is traffic about the same in both directions? Any other options other than 88/355/290? And I assume it is car only, as both bus or metra options seem a bit lengthy (in to Chicago and out to other suburb).

I also hear Arlington Heights may be a good place to settle and the commute is likely half or less, but with a family of 4 (kids 12 & 14), the options in Naperville seem to suggest a slightly better place to raise them? Any and all comments welcome. Price range of $400 to $600 are what I am targeting if it helps.

Pinball Seeker

[chet everett]

In your price range (purchase price of at least $400k and under $600k) there are pretty decent options to consider for a work location of Schaumburg. Naperville is probably about 45 mins in the AM from spots close to I-88 and/ or I-355. Also worth considering Lisle, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst, Schaumburg, Mt. Prospect and Alrington Heights.

I suspect that money will go farthest in little pockets of Lisle served by Naperville schools, unicorporated areas between Lisle and Glen Ellyn though with smart shopping any of the towns might be worth considering...

[TempesT68]

Naperville to schaumburg will be a bit of a haul especially with the winter weather and rush hours. I would suggest staying right there in Schaumburg or neighboring arlington heights.

[leroy217]

I would also like to suggest neighboring Lake County towns such as Buffalo Grove or Kildeer. Slightly cheaper in Lake County in my opinion, and has easy access to IL-53. From Buffalo Grove (areas closer to IL-53) to Schaumburg it would be about a 20 minute commute. It also depends where in Schaumburg your job is located. Where exactly will you be working? Honestly, by some of these northwest suburbs being so compact, you really can live 20 minutes to one side of the town and 40 minutes to the other side of town. I had to learn this moving from the south. I live in Arlington Heights, and to Woodfield for me its like 12 minutes. But, for some people in Arlington Heights it might be 20-30 minutes.

[leroy217]

But, back to Naperville to Schaumburg drive. I rarely see traffic on the mentioned routes (88/290/355), but you will be out of pocket because of the tolls on both 355 and 88. Also to consider, the IL-59 corridor (which can be another option) will be under construction for the next few years as there will be a major project between Naperville and Aurora. So if you do choose to live in Naperville and make that commute add about 15-20 minutes to your commute. Plus, the traffic on 59 is already horrid, and the construction will only make this worse. If I were you, I would stick to living north or west of Schaumburg. Much less traffic in my opinion, and nice cozy suburban areas.

[cubssoxfan]

The purchase price in Buffalo Grove or Kildeer will be cheaper, but often that is eroded by paying higher property taxes than in AH or other NW Cook towns.
I question the need and wisdom of commuting from Naperville to Schaumburg. AH has some of the same things that draw people to NV. Excellent schools, especially elementary D23 & 25 and Hersey and Prospect HS. Lively (for a suburb) downtown with Metra service to Chicago. Outstanding park and library programs. Very green, many mature trees. Variety of housing stock from 100 year old homes to recently built; from living on a block to living on a windy subdivision street. And if you choose wisely with good access to Il-53/I-290 and or Euclid/Roselle Rd. getting to and from Schaumburg, ven in rush hour, is going to be under 30 minutes easily.

[pvande55]

I would have advised against such a commute, unless you are really in love with Naperville. Interesting some say, hopefully from personal experience, that it isn't that bad. 88 and 355 are well maintained, that is true. But traffic always seems to back up around Woodfield.

[chet everett]

I wouldn't really recommend this commute but unless there is a major rebuild of 355 or or the stretch of 53 that lies north of it this is one of the more predictable commutes for such a distance in the region. The tolls are not cheap. If you do not have a vehicle that gets good mpg the distance alone will give you a major pain in the wallet.

The things that make this commute semi-worth considering are the fact that exits on both 355 & 88 are spaced out in a mostly logical manner, the only significant choke point(s) are right at the junction of the two toll roads where inconsiderate drivers tend to attempt to violate polite queuing but nowhere near the chaos of the choke points where the Eisenhower joins 88...

If the OP (or others) want similar amenities to Naperville I agree that it is worth considering towns like Arlington Heights and even Schaumburg itself for easier commute but some folks want different trade offs.

[Pinballseeker]

First off, I want to thank everyone who has provided their thoughts so far. For those of us who are relying (at least at first) on local guidance, it is extremely helpful to get such insight so quickly. The consensus seems to be that while it would be a lengthy and perhaps pricey commute, it wouldn't be the worst one in the area, especially for its length.

The other consensus suggests that living in NV is not necessary for most of the same amenities found in AH or similar areas. My research has certainly found that very strong schools are found in both areas as well. My plan is to spend a week in the area getting the local feel of both areas and make a more informed decision then. But I did want to see if NV should even be in the conversation based on the commute, and it sounds like it could be an option from what I have read. And that's exactly what I wanted to know. Many thanks again all!

[chet everett]

I want to emphasis a couple of points that the OP has picked up on --

Naperville comprises a very large area in parts of three counties, if you see a nice house that is not convenient to 355 or 88 it could warp the sub- one hour AM commute into something much much worse.

The size if Naperville also helps it make its way onto certain national rankings that smaller towns miss out on. Not a big deal but worth keeping in mind when you say "but why have I never heard of XXXXXX ". The best relocation companies do provide details if towns regardless of size but many focus on those that are already well know...


The OP has not emphasized housing age too much and I think that is smart. Others have come to these boards unaccustomed to the trade offs that come with some new developments. If the OP does try to endure a crazy commute from a new subdivision on the fringes of Naperville in Will Co the drive, especially in the evening back home, will be probably more than 2x the 45 mins discussed. There are lots of similar pitfalls when trying to find an area with brand new homes. The trade off of having a nice solid bunch of neighbors , a tolerable commute and established schools probably outweigh the "new house glitz" , three car garages and magical "fresh start" that lead to sprawl and weirdly detached cross regional trips ...