Origin
Buffalo Grove, IL
Morning in Buffalo Grove on Tuesday
Local time
8:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buffalo Grove, IL to Chicago, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
29.5 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo Grove, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
Traveling the 29.5 miles from Buffalo Grove to Chicago is a straightforward journey that typically takes about 47 minutes. Since this is a short trip within the Midwest, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate a combination of South Milwaukee Avenue, North Milwaukee Avenue, and the Kennedy Expressway. With a fuel cost estimate of just $4, it is an economical route for a quick commute or a day trip. This mixed-drive profile offers a balance between suburban roads and city access, making it a practical choice for those heading into the heart of the city.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| South Milwaukee Avenue | 6.8 mi | 10m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| East Lake Cook Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 8.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo Grove, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Aptakisic Road
60 ft
·
5 sec
·
Aptakisic Road
2
Turn right onto South Buffalo Grove Road
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
South Buffalo Grove Road
3
Turn right onto Lake Cook Road
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Lake Cook Road
4
Continue on East Lake Cook Road
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
East Lake Cook Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
this road
7
Turn right onto US 45; IL 21
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
8
Continue on US 45; IL 21
6.8 mi
·
10 min
·
South Milwaukee Avenue
9
Continue on IL 21
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
10
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
12
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 94 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto I 94
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
15
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
18
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
19
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
20
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
21
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
22
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 28.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lake Cook Road
Turn right onto Lake Cook Road
Navigation decision point
5
14 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
17 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 East
5
17.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge onto I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
28.4 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward 18th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.06 | $10.13 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.68 | $11.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 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 | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
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
Chicago, IL
Morning in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
8:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 15 mph
98% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:54AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:33AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
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
15 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
47m 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?
Expect a varied experience as you transition from the suburban streets of Buffalo Grove toward the urban landscape of Chicago. The route is defined by a mixed-drive profile, with approximately 38% of your journey spent on highways. You will navigate local roads before hitting the Kennedy Expressway, which serves as the longest uninterrupted stretch at 8.1 miles. The road’s personality shifts from the steady pace of Milwaukee Avenue to the higher-speed flow of the expressway. Staying alert is key as you move through these changing environments, as the road character evolves from quiet suburban thoroughfares to the denser traffic patterns typical of the approach to Chicago.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.1 mi on Kennedy Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Lake Cook Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 29.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Lake Cook Road): Navigation decision point; at 14 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 17 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Buffalo Grove, IL
Full guide →Founded 1958
Buffalo Grove is a village in Chicagoland, in both Lake and Cook counties, around 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
Arriving in Chicago, IL
Full guide →Chicago is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Here, the age of railroads found its center, and airplanes followed suit. "Stormy, Husky, Brawling / City of Big Shoulders," Chicago is a Heartland boomtown, its ethos defined by urban planner Daniel Burnham's immortal vision: "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." It is one of the world's great cities and the third largest city in the United States, behind only New York City and Los Angeles. As the hub of the Midwest, Chicago is easy to find — its picturesque skyline calls across the waters of Lake Michigan, a first impression that soon reveals world-class museums of art and science, miles of sandy beaches, huge parks and public art, and perhaps the finest downtown collection of modern architecture in the world.
Top landmarks
- • Willis Tower — skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois
- • Art Institute of Chicago — art museum and school in Chicago, United States
- • Wrigley Field — baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, USA; home venue of the Chicago Cubs
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.1 miles on Kennedy Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Chicago, 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 0.2 miles (Lake Cook Road): Navigation decision point; at 14 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 17 miles: 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 Chicago, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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