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Trip from Bolingbrook, IL to Oak Forest, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

38m

Distance

24.4 mi

39 km

Drive Score

5/10

Practical drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Oak Forest, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning a trip from Bolingbrook to Oak Forest, you are looking at a straightforward 24.4-mile journey across the Illinois landscape. Expect to spend about 38 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You will navigate a mix of local roads and major thoroughfares, including the Adlai Stevenson Expressway and the Veterans Memorial Tollway. With an estimated fuel cost of only $4, it is a very budget-friendly excursion within the Midwest. Because the distance is relatively short and requires no overnight stops, you have plenty of flexibility in your schedule. This route is designed for efficiency rather than a scenic getaway, serving as a practical connection between these two suburban hubs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West 159th Street 13.9 mi 23m
Veterans Memorial Tollway 6.5 mi 7m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 1.2 mi 1m
North Bolingbrook Drive 1 mi 2m
Longest stretch: West 159th Street — 13.9 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bolingbrook, IL and Oak Forest, IL.

1

Start on IL 53

1.0 mi · 2 min · North Bolingbrook Drive
2

Turn left

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
3

Merge onto I 55

1.2 mi · 1 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
4

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 269 Toward I 355 Toll: Northwest Suburbs, Southwest Suburbs Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 355 South: Southwest Suburbs Use the slight right lane.
6

Merge onto I 355

6.5 mi · 7 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Exit 4 Toward IL 7: 159th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn left onto IL 7

14 mi · 23 min · West 159th Street
Use the straight lane.
9

Turn right

63 ft · 9 sec
10

Turn left

116 ft · 8 sec
11

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 10.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Turn left toward I 55 North: Chicago

Navigation decision point

Toward I 55 North: Chicago
8
2.4 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward I 355 Toll: Northwest Suburbs, Southwest Suburbs

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 269 Toward I 355 Toll: Northwest Suburbs, Southwest...
7
3 mi into trip | ~5m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 355 South: Southwest Suburbs

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 355 South: Southwest Suburbs
5
3.5 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway

Merge onto I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
10.1 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward IL 7: 159th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4 Toward IL 7: 159th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.81 one way

$7.63 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.19 $8.38
premium $4.89 $4.70 $9.39
diesel $5.61 $5.39 $10.77

Estimated Tolls: $0.46

Veterans Memorial Tollway (6.5 mi) $0.46

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: 8.5 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 7.3 0 $2.56 $1.17
Efficient EV 6.1 0 $2.14 $0.98
EV Truck/SUV 9.8 0 $3.42 $1.56

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.

Forecast as of Apr 12, 2026

Origin

Bolingbrook, IL

Late night in Bolingbrook on Tuesday

Local time

4:14 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Cloudy

S 15 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 12:21AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Oak Forest, IL

Late night in Oak Forest on Tuesday

Local time

4:14 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Cloudy

S 15 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 12:21AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

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

38m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This 24.4-mile path acts as a turn-heavy local drive, requiring your full attention as you navigate through various suburban intersections. While you will utilize major arteries like the Veterans Memorial Tollway and the Adlai Stevenson Expressway, highway driving accounts for only 5% of the total journey. You will spend the bulk of your time on West 159th Street, which serves as the longest uninterrupted stretch at 13.9 miles. The experience is defined by frequent turning and local traffic patterns rather than the monotonous rhythm of a long-haul interstate. Prepare for a dynamic transition from highway segments to the more localized, stop-and-go environment of the primary cross-streets.

Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.9 mi on West 159th Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 1 miles in.

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 9 decision points packed into just 24.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

778 ft 586 ft

Total Climb

296 ft

Total Descent

264 ft

Highest Point

778 ft

~11.2 mi in

Elevation Range

192 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Bolingbrook, IL to Oak Forest, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Southwest Suburbs along the way.

Southwest Suburbs

2.4 mi in | ~4m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 24.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

38m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.9 miles on West 159th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.46 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Oak Forest, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Oak Forest, IL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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