If you are planning a quick getaway from Chicago to Gurnee, you can expect a manageable 41.3-mile journey that typically takes about 55 minutes. This Midwest route is perfectly suited for a one-day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. With a fuel budget of approximately $6, it remains a very affordable trek between these two Illinois hubs. You will spend your time navigating through a mix of urban and suburban landscapes, making this an ideal choice for a spontaneous outing. Because the total travel time is under an hour, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Edens Expressway
13.5 mi
17m
South Skokie Highway
9.8 mi
12m
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
Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Gurnee, 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: MilwaukeeUse 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
9.8 mi·12 min·South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville AvenueUse the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
276 ft·9 sec
Toward IL 132: Great AmericaUse the left lane.
15
Turn slight left onto IL 132
0.3 mi·34 sec·Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto North Greenleaf Street
92 ft·3 sec·North Greenleaf Street
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
North Greenleaf Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 20.7 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 40.9 — 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.
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.
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.
7
40.8 mi into trip|~54m in
Take the exit toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
8
40.9 mi into trip|~54m in
Keep slight left at fork toward IL 132: Great America
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward IL 132: Great America
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.46 one way
$12.91 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$7.09
$14.18
premium
$4.89
$7.95
$15.90
diesel
$5.61
$9.12
$18.24
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.4
0
$4.34
$1.98
Efficient EV
10.3
0
$3.61
$1.65
EV Truck/SUV
16.5
0
$5.78
$2.64
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Chicago, IL
Late night
in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
3:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 15 mph98% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:54AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:33AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Destination
Gurnee, IL
Late night
in Gurnee on Tuesday
Local time
3:06 AM
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
13 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
55m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience as you transition from city streets to suburban corridors. You will rely on the Kennedy Expressway, the Edens Expressway, and the South Skokie Highway to cover the distance, with highways accounting for 55% of your total travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 13.5-mile segment on the Edens Expressway. As you move north, the road’s personality shifts from the dense, high-traffic feel of Chicago’s major arteries to the more varied flow of the South Skokie Highway. You should be prepared for a drive that balances fast-paced highway movement with the standard traffic patterns typical of the Illinois region.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 Effort8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 41.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
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 23.7 miles (US 41 / Skokie Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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
Gurnee is a village in Illinois. It sits at the midpoint between Chicago and Milwaukee. It's best known as the home of the Six Flags Great America amusement park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago water park, the Gurnee Mills shopping mall, and a Great Wolf Lodge location. As such, Gurnee sees over 23 million visitors every year.
Top landmarks
•Goliath (Six Flags Great America) — wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois
•The Flash: Vertical Velocity — amusement ride in Six Flags Great America
•Shockwave — roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 41.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). 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 13.5 miles on Edens 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 Gurnee, 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 23.7 miles (US 41 / Skokie Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Gurnee, IL before heading back.
