Origin
Chicago, IL
Evening in Chicago on Saturday
Local time
5:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to Channel Lake, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 19m
Distance
58.7 mi
95 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Channel Lake, IL
Артем Дворецкий
Trip Overview
The drive from Chicago, IL to Channel Lake, IL covers 58.7 miles and takes about 1h 19m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Skokie Highway, Edens Expressway, Rosecrans Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.7 miles on South Skokie Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Skokie Highway | 17.7 mi | 21m |
| Edens Expressway | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| Rosecrans Road | 10.1 mi | 15m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Skokie Highway
— 17.7 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Channel Lake, 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
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
5
Turn left onto South Ruble Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Ruble Street
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
7
Merge onto I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 94
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on US 41
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Skokie Valley Road
12
Continue on US 41
18 mi
·
21 min
·
South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto IL 173
10 mi
·
15 min
·
Rosecrans Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right
77 ft
·
5 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.4 miles from Chicago, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 23.7 — 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
|
~1m in
|
West Cermak Road
At end of road, turn right onto West Cermak Road
Navigation decision point
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.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South Ruble Street
Turn left onto South Ruble Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway
Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
23.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
US 41 / Skokie Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41 / Skokie Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.10 one way
$18.20 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $9.98 | $19.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.39 | $22.78 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.94 | $25.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.16 | $2.82 |
| Efficient EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.14 | $2.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.5 | 0 | $8.22 | $3.76 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Destination
Channel Lake, IL
Evening in Channel Lake on Saturday
Local time
5:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
7 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
1h 19m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
58.7 mi in 1h 19m — 38% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: South Skokie Highway.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.7 mi on South Skokie Highway.
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 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Cermak 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 58.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 (West Cermak Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
790 ft
586 ft
Total Climb
254 ft
Total Descent
100 ft
Highest Point
790 ft
~54.5 mi in
Elevation Range
204 ft
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 1h 19m. Total distance: 58.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m 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 17.7 miles on South Skokie Highway. 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 Channel Lake, 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 (West Cermak Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (South Ruble Street): 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 Channel Lake, 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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