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Trip from Chicago, IL to Willowbrook, 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

53m

Distance

36.2 mi

58 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m

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

Downtown Willowbrook, IL, IL

Willowbrook, IL

Pho Tomass

Trip Overview

If you are planning to head from Chicago to Willowbrook, you are looking at a straightforward 35-mile journey through the Midwest. Expect the drive to take approximately 53 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. You will navigate via West Cermak Road, South Halsted Street, and South Canalport Avenue rather than relying on major interstates. With a modest fuel budget of $5, this is an economical way to move between these two Illinois locations. Since the entire route is within the same region, you will experience a consistent local atmosphere throughout the transit.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Bishop Ford Freeway 10.8 mi 14m
Calumet Expressway 10.2 mi 14m
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) 8.8 mi 11m
East Exchange Street 2.9 mi 4m
South State Line Road 1.3 mi 2m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.7 mi <1m
Challas Drive 0.3 mi 1m
Buried Oak Drive 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Bishop Ford Freeway — 10.8 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Willowbrook, 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 left at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.7 mi · 47 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94

8.8 mi · 11 min · Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94

11 mi · 14 min · Bishop Ford Freeway
Toward I 94 East: Indiana Use the slight left lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto IL 394

0.5 mi · 48 sec · Calumet Expressway
Exit 74A-B Toward I 80 West, I 294 North, IL 394 South: Danville, Iowa, Wisconsin Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto IL 394

9.7 mi · 13 min · Calumet Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn left onto CH 49

2.9 mi · 4 min · East Exchange Street
14

Turn left onto South State Line Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · South State Line Road
15

Turn left onto Challas Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · Challas Drive
16

At end of road, turn right onto Buried Oak Drive

0.3 mi · 1 min · Buried Oak Drive
17

Turn right onto Longwood Drive

329 ft · 14 sec · Longwood Drive
18

Arrive at destination

Longwood Drive

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Dolton, IL

18 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Crete, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Dolton, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.1 miles from Chicago, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 21.2 — 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.
9
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana

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 90, I 94 East: Indiana
8
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
7
10.4 mi into trip | ~15m in | I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway toward I 94 East: Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 94 East: Indiana
9
21.2 mi into trip | ~30m in | IL 394 / Calumet Expressway

Keep slight right at fork onto IL 394 / Calumet Expressway toward I 80 West, I 294 North, IL 394 South: Danville, Iowa, Wisconsin

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 74A-B Toward I 80 West, I 294 North, IL 394 South: Da...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.66 one way

$11.32 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.21 $12.43
premium $4.89 $6.97 $13.93
diesel $5.61 $7.99 $15.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.9 0 $3.80 $1.74
Efficient EV 9.1 0 $3.17 $1.45
EV Truck/SUV 14.5 0 $5.07 $2.32

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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

4:15 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

Willowbrook, IL

Late night in Willowbrook on Tuesday

Local time

4:15 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

16 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

53m 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?

Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous highway cruise, this route features zero highway miles, meaning you will be navigating city streets for the duration of the 53-minute trek. Because the road is composed entirely of local thoroughfares, there is no single long, uninterrupted stretch to settle into. You should anticipate a dynamic driving environment where frequent navigation through intersections defines the experience. It is a practical, hands-on transit that keeps you engaged with the local road network.

84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on Bishop Ford Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bishop Ford Freeway and Calumet Expressway. 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 15 decision points packed into just 36.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.

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 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Chicago, IL and Willowbrook, IL, road signs point toward Iowa and Wisconsin.

Iowa

21.2 mi in | ~30m | via IL 394

Wisconsin

21.2 mi in | ~30m | via IL 394

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 53m. Total distance: 36.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on Bishop Ford Freeway. 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 Willowbrook, 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 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Willowbrook, 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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Return Trip

Willowbrook, IL to Chicago, IL

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36.3 mi 54m

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