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Trip from Chicago, IL to La Grange, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

23m

Distance

14.1 mi

23 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

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

Best Time
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Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States of America

La Grange, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to head west from Chicago, IL to La Grange, IL, you are in for a quick 14.1-mile journey that typically takes about 23 minutes. This local route is a straightforward trip within the Midwest that works perfectly as a simple day excursion. With an estimated fuel cost of just $2, it is a very budget-friendly way to move between these two Illinois locations. You will navigate primarily via West Cermak Road, South Halsted Street, and South Canalport Avenue. Because the total duration is under half an hour, there is no need to plan for an overnight stay or complex logistics. It is an ideal option for anyone needing a direct, efficient transit across this stretch of the state.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Stevenson Expressway 5.6 mi 7m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 3.2 mi 4m
47th Street 1.9 mi 4m
1st Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
Adlai E Stevenson Expressway 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: Stevenson Expressway — 5.6 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and La Grange, 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

3.2 mi · 4 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 18 sec
Exit 282 Toward IL 171 South, IL 171 North: 1st Avenue Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 282B Toward IL 171 North: 1st Avenue
14

Turn straight onto IL 171

0.5 mi · 45 sec · 1st Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 46 sec
Toward 47th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight left at fork

109 ft · 6 sec
17

Turn left onto 47th Street

1.9 mi · 4 min · 47th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18

Turn left onto US 12; US 20; US 45

21 ft · 0 sec · South La Grange Road
Use the left lane.
19

Arrive at destination

US 12; US 20; US 45

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 10.8 — 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.
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
8
10.6 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward IL 171 South, IL 171 North: 1st 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. Exit 282 Toward IL 171 South, IL 171 North: 1st Avenue
6
10.8 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight right at fork toward IL 171 North: 1st Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 282B Toward IL 171 North: 1st Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.08 one way

$4.16 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $2.30 $4.60
premium $4.72 $2.62 $5.24
diesel $4.80 $2.66 $5.32

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.2 0 $1.48 $0.68
Efficient EV 3.5 0 $1.23 $0.56
EV Truck/SUV 5.6 0 $1.97 $0.90

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 Jul 9, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Morning in Chicago on Sunday

Local time

10:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

82°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 10 mph 39% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued July 9 at 11:03AM CDT until July 11 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 9 at 11:02AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Destination

La Grange, IL

Morning in La Grange on Sunday

Local time

10:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 5 to 10 mph 36% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued July 9 at 11:03AM CDT until July 11 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 9 at 11:02AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

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

2 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

23m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route features zero highway miles, meaning you will be navigating city streets for the entire 14.1-mile duration. There are no long, uninterrupted stretches of road, with the longest segment being zero miles on West Cermak Road, which reflects the frequent turns required. You should prepare for a rhythm defined by urban driving rather than high-speed cruising. The personality of this drive is strictly local, requiring your full attention as you transition between the specified main roads.

65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 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 is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Stevenson Expressway and Adlai Stevenson Expressway. 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 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 14 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.

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: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

645 ft 586 ft

Total Climb

116 ft

Total Descent

59 ft

Highest Point

645 ft

~14.1 mi in

Elevation Range

59 ft

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 La Grange, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1830

La Grange is a village in Chicagoland.

Top landmarks

  • • La Grange Village Hall
  • • Emmanuel Episcopal Church — historic church in La Grange, Illinois, United States

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

This 14.1-mile drive is a perfect, easy same-day round trip for a weekend getaway. You'll be back before you know it, with plenty of time for other activities.

Family Friendly

While short at 14.1 miles, the 9/10 complexity might be a headache with kids in the car. Stick to simpler routes if navigation stress is a concern.

Solo Traveler

At just 14.1 miles, this isn't exactly an engaging drive for a solo traveler. The 9/10 complexity on this short stretch might feel a bit much for the distance.

EV Driver

This route is very short at 14.1 miles, making it easily doable on a single charge for most EVs. You likely won't even need to think about charging.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

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.

Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 La Grange, 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: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: 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 La Grange, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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