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Trip from Chicago, IL to Naperville, IL

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

Drive Time

46m

Distance

31 mi

50 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m

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

Trip Overview

If you are planning to head from Chicago to Naperville, you are looking at a quick 31-mile trip that typically takes about 46 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a one-day excursion, as it is short enough to handle without any overnight stops. You can expect to spend roughly $5 on fuel for the journey, making it a very affordable commute within the Midwest. The path utilizes a combination of the Eisenhower Expressway, South Ashland Avenue, and the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. Since both locations are within the same region, you will find the transition between the urban environment and the suburbs to be straightforward. Whether you are traveling for business or a quick visit, this drive is a practical and efficient way to navigate between these two Illinois hubs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 13.1 mi 16m
Eisenhower Expressway 12.1 mi 16m
South Ashland Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
North Washington Street 1.3 mi 2m
East Diehl Road 0.9 mi 1m
West Cermak Road 0.8 mi 1m
Freedom Drive 0.4 mi <1m
West Van Buren Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 13.1 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Naperville, IL.

1

Start on this road

0.2 mi · 1 min · this road
2

At end of road, turn left onto West Cermak Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Cermak Road
3

Turn right onto South Ashland Avenue

1.7 mi · 3 min · South Ashland Avenue
4

Turn left onto West Van Buren Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · West Van Buren Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward I 290 West
6

Merge onto I 290; IL 110

12 mi · 16 min · Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110

1.9 mi · 2 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 15A Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana Use the slight left lane.
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

11 mi · 13 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road) Use the slight right lane.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Exit 127 Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn left onto Freedom Drive

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Freedom Drive
11

Turn right onto East Diehl Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Diehl Road
12

Turn left onto North Washington Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · North Washington Street
Use the left lane.
13

Arrive at destination

North Washington Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Northlake, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Northlake, IL

16 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

Warrenville, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Northlake, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.5 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 28.1 — 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 left onto West Cermak Road

Navigation decision point

6
2.7 mi into trip | ~6m in | West Van Buren Street

Turn left onto West Van Buren Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
9
15 mi into trip | ~23m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Exit 15A Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora...
8
16.9 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
6
28.1 mi into trip | ~39m in

Take the exit

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 127

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.85 one way

$9.69 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.32 $10.64
premium $4.89 $5.97 $11.93
diesel $5.61 $6.84 $13.69

Estimated Tolls: $0.78

Reagan Memorial Tollway (13.1 mi) $0.78

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$1

Total

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.3 0 $3.25 $1.49
Efficient EV 7.8 0 $2.71 $1.24
EV Truck/SUV 12.4 0 $4.34 $1.98

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 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 Sunday

Local time

2:29 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

Naperville, IL

Late night in Naperville on Sunday

Local time

2:29 AM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

W 15 to 20 mph 64% 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

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

46m 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 31-mile trip offers a mixed driving profile that transitions from city streets to major expressways. You will spend about 39% of your time on highways, providing a blend of local navigation and faster transit. The longest uninterrupted section you will encounter is a 13.1-mile stretch along the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, which allows for a consistent pace. As you move away from the city center via the Eisenhower Expressway, the character of the road shifts significantly. Expect to balance the stop-and-go nature of local roads like South Ashland Avenue with the more open, high-speed flow of the tollway system.

39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.

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 0.2 miles in near West Cermak Road.

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 10 decision points packed into just 31 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Cermak Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Chicago, IL and Naperville, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).

Indiana

15 mi in | ~23m | via I 88; IL 110

22Nd Street (Cermak Road)

16.9 mi in | ~26m | via I 88; IL 110

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 Naperville, IL

Full guide →

Naperville is a bedroom community in the Chicagoland area. In 2008, Money magazine ranked Naperville third on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

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 46m. Total distance: 31 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (39%). 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 13.1 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.78 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan Memorial 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 Naperville, 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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): 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 Naperville, 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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