Origin
Chicago, IL
Late night in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
5:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to Crystal Lake, 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
1h 19m
Distance
51.6 mi
83 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 24m
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
Crystal Lake, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Chicago to Crystal Lake is 51.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 19 minutes via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two Illinois locations. You'll primarily navigate surface roads for a good portion of this relatively short drive. It's a straightforward hop that doesn't require extensive planning and is perfect for a quick excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 17 mi | 18m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 7.9 mi | 11m |
| Algonquin Road | 7.8 mi | 13m |
| New Sutton Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| West Higgins Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Pyott Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| West Bryn Mawr Avenue | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| South Main Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 17 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Crystal 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
7.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 43C
Toward Montrose Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto West Montrose Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Montrose Avenue
11
Turn right onto North Milwaukee Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
12
Turn left onto North Northwest Highway
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Northwest Highway
13
Continue on North Northwest Highway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Northwest Highway
14
Turn slight left onto West Bryn Mawr Avenue
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on IL 72
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
West Higgins Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West
17
Merge onto I 90
17 mi
·
18 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 59
Toward IL 59
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn right onto IL 59
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
New Sutton Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Turn sharp left onto IL 62; IL 68
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Dundee Road
Use the left lane.
21
Keep slight right at fork onto IL 62
7.8 mi
·
13 min
·
Algonquin Road
22
Turn right onto V32
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Pyott Road
Use the right lane.
23
Continue on South Main Street
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
24
Turn left onto East Crystal Lake Avenue
25 ft
·
0 sec
·
East Crystal Lake Avenue
25
Arrive at destination
East Crystal Lake Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.8 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 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 38.8 — 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.
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.
7
9.9 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Montrose Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 43C
Toward Montrose Avenue
7
35.1 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward IL 59
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 59
Toward IL 59
7
38.8 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
IL 62; IL 68 / Dundee Road
Turn sharp left onto IL 62; IL 68 / Dundee Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.07 one way
$16.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.86 | $17.71 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.93 | $19.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.39 | $22.79 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.19
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(17 mi)
$1.19
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$1
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.42 | $2.48 |
| Efficient EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.6 | 0 | $7.22 | $3.30 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Crystal Lake, IL
Late night in Crystal Lake on Tuesday
Local time
5:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
1 degrees warmer 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?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 17% on the highway. You'll experience about 17 miles on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect to encounter urban merging as you leave the Chicago area. The latter part of your drive will involve navigating local roads.
Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 0.4 miles in near South Halsted Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.6 miles you will encounter 19 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 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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: 51.6 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.19 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams 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 Crystal 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 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Crystal 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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