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Trip from Chicago, IL to Palos Park, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

32m

Distance

19.9 mi

32 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 30m ★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m

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

Palos Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Chicago, IL to Palos Park, IL is 19.9 miles and takes about 32m via South Cicero Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Illinois. It's a straightforward drive that primarily uses surface roads, making it a simple and quick transit. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, offering minimal travel time for a local hop.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Cicero Avenue 6.5 mi 10m
Southwest Highway 5.3 mi 8m
Stevenson Expressway 4.9 mi 6m
West 93rd Street 1.2 mi 1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
South Halsted Street 0.1 mi <1m
South Canalport Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
West 123rd Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: South Cicero Avenue — 6.5 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Palos Park, 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 · 39 sec
Exit 286 Toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Turn left onto IL 50

6.5 mi · 10 min · South Cicero Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Turn right onto West 93rd Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · West 93rd Street
Use the right lane.
13

Continue on Southwest Highway

5.3 mi · 8 min · Southwest Highway
Use the left lane.
14

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 29 sec
15

Turn slight right onto West 123rd Street

98 ft · 9 sec · West 123rd Street
16

Turn left onto South 86th Avenue

30 ft · 0 sec · South 86th Avenue
17

Arrive at destination

South 86th Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 13.2 — 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
13.2 mi into trip | ~22m in | West 93rd Street

Turn right onto West 93rd Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.09 one way

$6.17 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $3.38 $6.77
premium $4.93 $3.86 $7.72
diesel $5.60 $4.39 $8.77

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6 0 $2.09 $0.96
Efficient EV 5 0 $1.74 $0.80
EV Truck/SUV 8 0 $2.79 $1.27

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 Aug 30, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Afternoon in Chicago on Monday

Local time

2:54 PM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

S 15 mph 22% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 9:10AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Palos Park, IL

Afternoon in Palos Park on Monday

Local time

2:54 PM

CDT

Current temp

69°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

S 10 mph 17% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 9:10AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

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

1 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

32m 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 drive involves a 25% highway share, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface streets. The longest stretch without a significant change in direction or road type is 6.5 miles on South Cicero Avenue. Expect to navigate a series of intersections and traffic signals as you transition from the expressway onto local thoroughfares. This profile suggests a more urban or suburban driving experience with frequent opportunities for turns and stops.

Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on South Cicero Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 11 decision points packed into just 19.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

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

689 ft 576 ft

Total Climb

176 ft

Total Descent

76 ft

Highest Point

689 ft

~19.9 mi in

Elevation Range

112 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 Palos Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

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 32m. Total distance: 19.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.5 miles on South Cicero Avenue. 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 Palos Park, 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 Palos 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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