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Trip from Chicago, IL to Oak Park, IL

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

Drive Time

18m

Distance

9.8 mi

16 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 17m ★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m

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 Cook County, Illinois, United States; suburb of Chicago, Illinois

Oak Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick transition from the heart of Chicago to Oak Park, this 9.8-mile journey is an ideal day trip. You can expect to spend about 18 minutes behind the wheel, making it a highly efficient transit within the Midwest region. With a fuel budget of just $1, the trip is exceptionally economical for any traveler. Since this is a short, straightforward drive, there is no need for an overnight stay or complex planning. It serves as a practical connection between the two Illinois locations, allowing you to move between the city and its neighbor with minimal effort.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Eisenhower Expressway 4.9 mi 6m
South Ashland Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
West Cermak Road 0.8 mi 1m
South Austin Boulevard 0.6 mi 1m
Washington Boulevard 0.5 mi 1m
South Ridgeland Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
West Van Buren Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Austin Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Eisenhower Expressway — 4.9 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Oak Park, 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

4.9 mi · 6 min · Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Exit 23A Toward Austin Boulevard Use the left lane.
8

Turn right onto South Austin Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Austin Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9

Continue on North Austin Boulevard

0.1 mi · 30 sec · North Austin Boulevard
10

Turn left onto Washington Boulevard

0.5 mi · 1 min · Washington Boulevard
11

Turn right onto South Ridgeland Avenue

0.2 mi · 34 sec · South Ridgeland Avenue
12

Arrive at destination

South Ridgeland Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 8.3 — 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.
5
3 mi into trip | ~7m in | I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway

Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
7.9 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward Austin Boulevard

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

Use the left lane. Exit 23A Toward Austin Boulevard
5
8.3 mi into trip | ~14m in | South Austin Boulevard

Turn right onto South Austin Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.53 one way

$3.06 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.68 $3.36
premium $4.89 $1.89 $3.77
diesel $5.61 $2.16 $4.33

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.9 0 $1.03 $0.47
Efficient EV 2.5 0 $0.86 $0.39
EV Truck/SUV 3.9 0 $1.37 $0.63

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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 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

Oak Park, IL

Late night in Oak Park on Sunday

Local time

2:29 AM

CDT

Current temp

68°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

22 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

18m 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 trip offers a mixed driving profile, transitioning you from city streets to faster transit lanes. You will spend about 51% of your time on the highway, with the Eisenhower Expressway serving as the primary artery for your journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 4.9 miles on the Eisenhower, which provides a brief period of steady cruising. As you move off the expressway and onto South Ashland Avenue and West Cermak Road, the pace shifts toward local navigation. You should be prepared for this interplay between expressway speed and the typical flow of regional surface roads.

51% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.9 mi on Eisenhower Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 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 5/10

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 9.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Oak Park, IL

Full guide →

Oak Park is a city of 52,000 people (2018) in the Chicagoland area. It's essentially an outdoor museum dedicated to architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

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 18m. Total distance: 9.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (51%). 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 Eisenhower Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 3 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Oak Park, 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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