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Trip from Chicago, IL to Justice, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

18.5 mi

30 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

broad idea of a situation where people receive that which they deserve

Justice, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Chicago to Justice, Illinois, you are planning a short, direct journey of 18.5 miles. Expect to spend about 30 minutes behind the wheel, making this a straightforward day trip that requires no overnight stops. Your path takes you through the heart of the Midwest, utilizing a sequence of local roads rather than high-speed interstates. With a fuel budget of just $3, this is an incredibly economical route to navigate. It is a practical choice for those who prefer staying off major highways, though you should prepare for a navigation-heavy experience within the urban landscape.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Stevenson Expressway 5.6 mi 7m
South Harlem Avenue 5.5 mi 9m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 2.1 mi 2m
Tri-State Tollway 2.1 mi 2m
Adlai E Stevenson Expressway 0.3 mi <1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
South Halsted Street 0.1 mi <1m
West 95th Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Stevenson Expressway — 5.6 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Justice, 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

2.1 mi · 2 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 283 Toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn left onto IL 43

5.5 mi · 9 min · South Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
14

Turn slight right

0.3 mi · 56 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn straight onto US 12; US 20

0.1 mi · 16 sec · West 95th Street
16

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 58 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: Wisconsin Use the right lane.
17

Merge onto I 294

2.1 mi · 2 min · Tri-State Tollway
18

Arrive at destination

I 294

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 9.6 — 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
9.6 mi into trip | ~15m 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 right lanes. Exit 283 Toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.89 one way

$5.78 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.18 $6.35
premium $4.89 $3.56 $7.12
diesel $5.61 $4.08 $8.17

Estimated Tolls: $0.13

Tri-state Tollway (2.1 mi) $0.13

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$0

Total

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.6 0 $1.94 $0.89
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.62 $0.74
EV Truck/SUV 7.4 0 $2.59 $1.18

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Late night in Chicago on Tuesday

Local time

5:17 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 15 mph 98% chance Live 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

Justice, IL

Late night in Justice on Tuesday

Local time

5:17 AM

CDT

Current temp

63°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

17 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

30m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This 18.5-mile journey is entirely local, meaning you will not spend any time on major highways. You should prepare for a turn-heavy drive that requires your full attention as you navigate via West Cermak Road, South Halsted Street, and South Canalport Avenue. Because the entire route consists of city streets, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches to settle into. Instead, you will experience a constant flow of urban traffic and frequent adjustments. It is a technical drive that demands a patient driver comfortable with navigating a series of turns rather than cruising at highway speeds.

44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on Stevenson Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 0.2 miles in near West Cermak Road.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 18.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

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

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 30m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (44%). 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 5.6 miles on Stevenson Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.13 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state 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 Justice, 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 Justice, 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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