Origin
Chicago, IL
Late night in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
3:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to Gardner, 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 25m
Distance
67.3 mi
108 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 19m
★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Gardner, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
Chicago to Gardner is 67.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 25 minutes via Adlai Stevenson Expressway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, specifically within Illinois, making it a straightforward journey. Its highway-focused profile suggests a quick and efficient travel day, ideal if you're looking to get from point A to point B without much fuss. You'll spend most of your time on major expressways, so consider this a functional route for getting to your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Adlai Stevenson Expressway | 58.8 mi | 1h 11m |
| Stevenson Expressway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| West Main Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Adlai E Stevenson Expressway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| IL 53 | 0.3 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:
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
— 58.8 mi, about 1h 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Gardner, 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 right at fork
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 55: Saint Louis, Lake Shore Drive
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 53B
Toward I 55 South: St Louis
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 55
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 55
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Adlai E Stevenson Expressway
11
Continue on I 55
59 mi
·
1 hr 11 min
·
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 227
Toward IL 53: Gardner
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto IL 53
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
IL 53
14
Continue on West Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
15
Turn right onto South Grundy Street
111 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Grundy Street
16
Arrive at destination
South Grundy Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.6 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 66.2 — 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 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.
8
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 55: Saint Louis, Lake Shore Drive
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 55: Saint Louis, Lake Shore Drive
8
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 55 South: St Louis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 53B
Toward I 55 South: St Louis
7
66.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
Take the exit toward IL 53: Gardner
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 227
Toward IL 53: Gardner
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.52 one way
$21.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.55 | $23.10 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.95 | $25.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.86 | $29.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.07 | $3.23 |
| Efficient EV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.89 | $2.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.9 | 0 | $9.42 | $4.31 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Gardner, IL
Late night in Gardner on Tuesday
Local time
3:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
64°F
Willowbrook, IL
34 mi in
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
6 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 25m 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 overwhelmingly highway-focused, with 97% of the journey utilizing major expressways. You'll experience the Adlai Stevenson Expressway for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 58.8 miles, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. Expect a predominantly smooth and direct drive, characteristic of interstates designed for efficient travel. The transition to West Main Street marks a slight shift as you approach your destination, but the overall feel remains dominated by high-speed road travel.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 58.8 mi on Adlai Stevenson Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Adlai Stevenson Expressway and Stevenson Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Cermak Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 67.3 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: 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
Arriving in Gardner, IL
Full guide →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 25m. Total distance: 67.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 58.8 miles on Adlai Stevenson 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 Gardner, 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: 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 Gardner, 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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