Origin
Chicago, IL
Morning in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
11:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to Forest Park, 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
18m
Distance
10.7 mi
17 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Forest Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Chicago, IL to Forest Park, IL is 10.7 miles and takes about 18 minutes via the Eisenhower Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest, specifically within Illinois, making it a quick and convenient journey. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion or even a quick errand. You'll primarily navigate major expressways and arterial roads, so expect a straightforward drive with minimal complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Expressway | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| South Ashland Avenue | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Madison Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Harlem Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eisenhower Expressway
— 6.6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Forest Park, IL.
1
Start on this road
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn left onto West Cermak Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Cermak Road
3
Turn right onto South Ashland Avenue
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Ashland Avenue
4
Turn left onto West Van Buren Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Van Buren Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 290 West
6
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 21B
Toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Turn right onto IL 43
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Harlem Avenue
9
Turn left onto Madison Street
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Madison Street
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
Madison Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 10.2 — 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 left onto West Cermak Road
Navigation decision point
6
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
West Van Buren Street
Turn left onto West Van Buren Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 21B
Toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue
6
10.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Madison Street
Turn left onto Madison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.67 one way
$3.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.84 | $3.67 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.06 | $4.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.36 | $4.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.12 | $0.51 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.94 | $0.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Forest Park, IL
Morning in Forest Park on Tuesday
Local time
11:40 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
18m 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 route is heavily highway-focused, with 62% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 6.6 miles on the Eisenhower Expressway, offering a consistent, faster-paced driving experience. The remaining portions involve arterial roads like South Ashland Avenue and West Cermak Road, which may introduce more traffic signals and local access. Expect a blend of high-speed expressway travel and more typical urban road conditions as you transition between these main thoroughfares.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.6 mi on Eisenhower Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Eisenhower Expressway and South Ashland Avenue. You will hit about 8 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
5/10
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 10.7 miles you will encounter 8 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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 18m. Total distance: 10.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.6 miles on Eisenhower Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Forest Park, 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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