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Trip from Chicago, IL to Rolling Meadows, 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

47m

Distance

28.4 mi

46 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 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m

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

city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Rolling Meadows, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning a trip from Chicago to Rolling Meadows, expect a straightforward 28.4-mile journey that typically takes about 47 minutes. This route is a quick, efficient transit perfect for a single-day excursion, as there is no need for an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Kennedy Expressway, the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, and West Higgins Road. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $4, this trip is highly economical for travelers moving within the Midwest. Because this is a short, mixed drive, you have the flexibility to plan your schedule around your own pace without worrying about long-haul fatigue.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kennedy Expressway 7.9 mi 11m
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 6 mi 6m
West Higgins Road 3.1 mi 5m
West Bryn Mawr Avenue 1.8 mi 4m
West Algonquin Road 1.4 mi 2m
North Milwaukee Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
North Northwest Highway 1 mi 1m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Kennedy Expressway — 7.9 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Rolling Meadows, 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

7.9 mi · 11 min · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Exit 43C Toward Montrose Avenue Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn left onto West Montrose Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Montrose Avenue
11

Turn right onto North Milwaukee Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · North Milwaukee Avenue
12

Turn left onto North Northwest Highway

67 ft · 1 sec · North Northwest Highway
13

Continue on North Northwest Highway

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Northwest Highway
14

Turn slight left onto West Bryn Mawr Avenue

1.8 mi · 4 min · West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Use the left lane.
15

Continue on IL 72

3.1 mi · 5 min · West Higgins Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West
17

Merge onto I 90

6.0 mi · 6 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Exit 70 Toward Arlington Heights Road Use the slight right lane.
19

Keep slight right at fork

498 ft · 12 sec
Use the right lane.
20

Turn straight onto North Arlington Heights Road

0.1 mi · 14 sec · North Arlington Heights Road
21

Turn left onto IL 62

1.4 mi · 2 min · West Algonquin Road
Use the left lane.
22

Turn right onto South New Wilke Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · South New Wilke Road
23

Continue on New Wilke Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · New Wilke Road
24

Keep slight right at fork onto South Wilke Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Wilke Road
25

Turn left onto Campbell Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Campbell Street
Use the left lane.
26

Turn right onto Bluebird Lane

253 ft · 11 sec · Bluebird Lane
27

Arrive at destination

Bluebird Lane

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 20

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 24.4 — 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.
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
9.9 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward Montrose Avenue

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 43C Toward Montrose Avenue
7
24.1 mi into trip | ~39m in

Take the exit toward Arlington Heights Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 70 Toward Arlington Heights Road
6
24.4 mi into trip | ~39m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.44 one way

$8.88 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.87 $9.75
premium $4.89 $5.47 $10.93
diesel $5.61 $6.27 $12.54

Estimated Tolls: $0.42

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (6 mi) $0.42

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$0

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.5 0 $2.98 $1.36
Efficient EV 7.1 0 $2.49 $1.14
EV Truck/SUV 11.4 0 $3.98 $1.82

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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

5:39 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

Rolling Meadows, IL

Late night in Rolling Meadows on Tuesday

Local time

5:39 AM

CDT

Current temp

63°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

17 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

47m 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?

Expect a varied driving experience that transitions from urban highway transit to suburban local roads. The route consists of 31% highway driving, characterized by a mix of fast-paced expressway stretches and slower surface streets. Your longest uninterrupted segment occurs on the Kennedy Expressway, covering 7.9 miles of the total distance. As you move away from the city center, the driving environment shifts significantly, requiring you to remain alert as you transition between high-speed tollways and the final stretch on West Higgins Road. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that balances speed with the inevitable slowdowns of approaching the suburbs.

31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.9 mi on Kennedy Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 0.4 miles in near South Halsted Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 20 decision points packed into just 28.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

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 (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 47m. Total distance: 28.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (31%). 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 7.9 miles on Kennedy Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.42 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams 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 Rolling Meadows, 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 (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Rolling Meadows, 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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