Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Chicago, IL to Lyons, IL

Pin this trip

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

Drive Time

19m

Distance

11.2 mi

18 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 18m ★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

village in Illinois, United States

Lyons, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Chicago to Lyons, Illinois, you are in for a quick, straightforward local trip. Covering just 11.2 miles, this drive typically takes about 19 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Since the distance is so short, you can easily complete the journey in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will spend roughly $2 on fuel, making this a very budget-friendly commute within the Midwest. Navigating through local streets like West Cermak Road, South Halsted Street, and South Canalport Avenue, the trip is entirely free of highways. It is an ideal route if you need to move between these two Illinois locations efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Stevenson Expressway 4.9 mi 6m
West Pershing Road 3.1 mi 5m
Joliet Road 0.5 mi <1m
43rd Street 0.4 mi <1m
South Cicero Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
South Harlem Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
South Halsted Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Stevenson Expressway — 4.9 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

4.9 mi · 6 min · Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Exit 286 Toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn right onto IL 50

0.3 mi · 32 sec · South Cicero Avenue
12

Turn left onto West Pershing Road

3.1 mi · 5 min · West Pershing Road
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto IL 43

0.2 mi · 32 sec · South Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
14

Turn slight right onto Joliet Road

0.5 mi · 49 sec · Joliet Road
Use the right lane.
15

Continue on 43rd Street

0.3 mi · 27 sec · 43rd Street
16

Continue on 43rd Street

225 ft · 8 sec · 43rd Street
17

Arrive at destination

43rd Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 7 — 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
7
6.4 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 286 Toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue
6
7 mi into trip | ~12m in | West Pershing Road

Turn left onto West Pershing Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.75 one way

$3.50 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.92 $3.85
premium $4.89 $2.16 $4.31
diesel $5.61 $2.47 $4.95

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.9 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 3.4 0 $1.18 $0.54
Efficient EV 2.8 0 $0.98 $0.45
EV Truck/SUV 4.5 0 $1.57 $0.72

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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Morning in Chicago on Tuesday

Local time

10:18 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

Lyons, IL

Morning in Lyons on Tuesday

Local time

10:18 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

16 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

19m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate experience. Because 0% of this 11.2-mile journey is on a highway, you will be navigating urban streets for the entire duration. There is no long, uninterrupted stretch of road here, as the route is defined by the constant transitions between South Canalport Avenue, South Halsted Street, and West Cermak Road. Behind the wheel, you should be prepared for frequent stops and turns as you make your way through the local landscape. This is a practical, utilitarian drive that requires your full attention on city navigation rather than cruise control.

44% 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: 4.9 mi on Stevenson 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 Effort 8/10

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 11.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 19m.

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.

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 Lyons, IL

Full guide →

Top landmarks

  • • Chicago Portage National Historic Site — historic site in Lyons, Illinois

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 19m. Total distance: 11.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

19m 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 4.9 miles on 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 Lyons, 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 Lyons, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Lyons, IL

Springfield, IL 189.7 mi · 3h 35m Naperville, IL 21.3 mi · 38m Evanston, IL 21.1 mi · 40m

More from Chicago, IL

Burton, IL 313.7 mi · 5h 57m Quincy, IL 309.6 mi · 5h 53m Adams, IL 299.3 mi · 5h 54m Alorton, IL 292.7 mi · 5h 30m Saint Rose, IL 286 mi · 5h 26m Barry, IL 279.4 mi · 5h 13m

More trips to Lyons, IL

Aurora, IL 31.2 mi
Escape planner: Chicago, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Chicago, IL or browse trips ending in Lyons, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.