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Trip from Chicago, IL to Northbrook, 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

40m

Distance

25.9 mi

42 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

village in Illinois, United States

Northbrook, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning a quick commute from Chicago to Northbrook, expect a straightforward 25.9-mile journey that typically takes about 40 minutes. This trip is ideally suited for a single-day excursion, as the distance is short enough that you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations. You can anticipate a fuel cost of approximately $4, making this an economical trip within the Midwest. The route relies heavily on major expressways, which keeps the travel time predictable. Because both cities are located within Illinois, you will remain in the same region throughout your drive. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that gets you from the heart of the city to the northern suburbs with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Expressway 9 mi 11m
Kennedy Expressway 8.2 mi 11m
Waukegan Road 3.5 mi 6m
Lake Avenue 2.1 mi 3m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.9 mi 1m
Walters Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
South Canalport Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Edens Expressway — 9 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

9.0 mi · 11 min · Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 34B Toward Lake Avenue West Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Turn straight onto Lake Avenue

2.1 mi · 3 min · Lake Avenue
12

Turn right onto IL 43

3.5 mi · 6 min · Waukegan Road
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto Walters Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Walters Avenue
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto Meadow Road

474 ft · 29 sec · Meadow Road
15

Turn left onto Shermer Road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Shermer Road
16

Turn right onto Walters Avenue

121 ft · 3 sec · Walters Avenue
17

Turn right onto 1st Street

294 ft · 14 sec · 1st Street
18

Turn right

298 ft · 21 sec
19

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 19.2 — 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.
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.
5
1.1 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway

Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
19.2 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward Lake Avenue West

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 34B Toward Lake Avenue West

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.05 one way

$8.10 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.45 $8.89
premium $4.89 $4.98 $9.97
diesel $5.61 $5.72 $11.44

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.8 0 $2.72 $1.24
Efficient EV 6.5 0 $2.27 $1.04
EV Truck/SUV 10.4 0 $3.63 $1.66

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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

4:09 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

Northbrook, IL

Late night in Northbrook on Tuesday

Local time

4:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

61°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

15 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

40m 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 25.9-mile journey is heavily highway-focused, with about 70% of the route spent on fast-moving lanes. You will navigate the Kennedy Expressway and the Edens Expressway, which accounts for the most significant portion of your time behind the wheel. The longest uninterrupted stretch is a 9-mile segment on the Edens Expressway, providing a consistent pace before you transition onto local roads like Waukegan Road. While the interstate sections offer a high-speed experience, the character of the drive shifts once you exit the highway and head toward your destination. Expect a functional, efficient drive that prioritizes speed and direct access over winding, scenic detours.

70% 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: 9 mi on Edens Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Cermak Road.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 25.9 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from Chicago, IL to Northbrook, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Lake Avenue West along the way.

Lake Avenue West

19.2 mi in | ~27m

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 Northbrook, IL

Full guide →

Northbrook is a city of 33,000 people (2019) in Illinois. Northbrook's downtown shopping district features boutiques and specialty stores.

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 40m. Total distance: 25.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9 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 Northbrook, 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 (South Ruble Street): 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 Northbrook, 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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