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Trip from Chicago, IL to Calumet City, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

33m

Distance

22.1 mi

36 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 30m ★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 31m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Calumet City, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 22.1-mile drive from Chicago to Calumet City, Illinois, is a quick trip estimated to take around 33 minutes. It's perfectly suited as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. With a modest fuel cost of approximately $3, this route is designed for efficiency. You'll predominantly be on major expressways, making it a practical choice for getting from point A to point B within the Midwest region. This journey is all about direct travel through urban and suburban landscapes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) 8.8 mi 11m
Bishop Ford Freeway 8.5 mi 11m
Sibley Boulevard 2.6 mi 4m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.7 mi <1m
Wentworth Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
South Halsted Street 0.1 mi <1m
South Canalport Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) — 8.8 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Calumet City, IL.

1

Start on this road

0.2 mi · 1 min · this road
2

At end of road, turn right onto West Cermak Road

0.2 mi · 26 sec · West Cermak Road
3

Turn left onto South Halsted Street

0.1 mi · 17 sec · South Halsted Street
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue

285 ft · 5 sec · South Canalport Avenue
5

Turn slight right

110 ft · 4 sec
6

Take the ramp

455 ft · 11 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.7 mi · 47 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94

8.8 mi · 11 min · Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94

8.5 mi · 11 min · Bishop Ford Freeway
Toward I 94 East: Indiana Use the slight left lane.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 71B Toward IL 83 South: East Sibley Boulevard Use the right lane.
12

Turn straight onto Sibley Boulevard

2.6 mi · 4 min · Sibley Boulevard
13

Turn right onto Wentworth Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Wentworth Avenue
14

Turn left onto Pulaski Road

114 ft · 3 sec · Pulaski Road
15

Arrive at destination

Pulaski Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 18.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | South Halsted Street

Turn left onto South Halsted Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
9
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana
8
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
7
10.4 mi into trip | ~15m in | I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway toward I 94 East: Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 94 East: Indiana
7
18.9 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward IL 83 South: East Sibley Boulevard

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

Use the right lane. Exit 71B Toward IL 83 South: East Sibley Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.46 one way

$6.91 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.79 $7.59
premium $4.89 $4.25 $8.51
diesel $5.61 $4.88 $9.76

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.6 0 $2.32 $1.06
Efficient EV 5.5 0 $1.93 $0.88
EV Truck/SUV 8.8 0 $3.09 $1.41

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Morning in Chicago on Sunday

Local time

9:37 AM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Widespread Fog then Mostly Sunny

SSE 5 to 20 mph 9% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 6:01AM CDT until April 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 5:49AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Calumet City, IL

Morning in Calumet City on Sunday

Local time

9:37 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

13 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

33m 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 highway-focused experience for most of this 22.1-mile journey, as 82% of the route utilizes major freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles on the Dan Ryan Expressway (Express). You'll navigate primarily via the Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), Bishop Ford Freeway, and Sibley Boulevard. This profile suggests a drive characterized by consistent speed and efficient travel, with minimal deviations onto slower local roads.

82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Dan Ryan Expressway (Express).

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) and Bishop Ford Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near South Halsted Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

About the Cities

Starting 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 33m. Total distance: 22.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

33m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on Dan Ryan Expressway (Express). 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 Calumet City, 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 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Calumet City, 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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