Origin
Chicago, IL
Morning in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
11:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to Riverwoods, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
30.8 mi
50 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Riverwoods, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
Chicago, IL to Riverwoods, IL is 30.8 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Edens Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward trip within the Midwest, connecting two points in Illinois. Expect a drive that's primarily on well-maintained expressways, making it a convenient option for a quick commute or a short hop. Given its brief duration, it's ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination. Consider this route for its efficiency and ease of navigation.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Edens Spur | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| Deerfield Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Canalport Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Riverwoods, 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
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Edens Spur
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 94
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 24
Toward Deerfield Road
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left
130 ft
·
5 sec
14
Turn left onto Deerfield Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Deerfield Road
15
Turn right onto Portwine Road
6 ft
·
0 sec
·
Portwine Road
16
Arrive at destination
Portwine Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 29.2 — 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.
7
23.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 94 / Edens Spur
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
7
29.2 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward Deerfield Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 24
Toward Deerfield Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.82 one way
$9.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.29 | $10.57 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.93 | $11.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.01
Tri-state Tollway
(0.1 mi)
$0.01
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
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 | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
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.
Destination
Riverwoods, IL
Morning in Riverwoods on Tuesday
Local time
11:49 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
1 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
43m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive has a highway-focused profile, with 73% of the journey utilizing major expressways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Edens Expressway and the Kennedy Expressway, experiencing a consistent flow of traffic typical of urban and suburban arteries. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.5 miles on the Edens Expressway, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. The Edens Spur also plays a role, keeping the route direct and efficient. Overall, it's a drive characterized by speed and directness rather than winding scenic byways.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway. 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 12 decision points packed into just 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
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.
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
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 43m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.01 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state 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 Riverwoods, 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 Riverwoods, 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
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Riverwoods, IL
Explore more options from Chicago, IL or browse trips ending in Riverwoods, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.