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Trip from Chicago, IL to Wilmette, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

20.1 mi

32 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

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

Wilmette, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Chicago to Wilmette is 20.1 miles and takes about 30m via Kennedy Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Illinois and the Midwest region, making it a convenient option for local travel. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a simple transition between areas without requiring extensive planning. You'll primarily be on major expressways, so expect typical urban traffic patterns. It's a straightforward trip that doesn't demand much in terms of preparation.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kennedy Expressway 8.2 mi 11m
Edens Expressway 7.6 mi 9m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.9 mi 1m
Glenview Road 0.8 mi 1m
Wilmette Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Skokie Boulevard 0.4 mi <1m
Old Orchard Road 0.4 mi <1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Kennedy Expressway — 8.2 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Wilmette, 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

7.6 mi · 9 min · Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Exit 35 Toward Old Orchard Road Use the slight right lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork

286 ft · 7 sec
12

Turn straight onto Old Orchard Road

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Old Orchard Road
13

Turn left onto US 41

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Skokie Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto Glenview Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Glenview Road
15

Continue on Wilmette Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Wilmette Avenue
16

Arrive at destination

Wilmette Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 17.8 — 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.
5
1.1 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway

Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.8 mi into trip | ~25m in

Take the exit toward Old Orchard Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 35 Toward Old Orchard Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.12 one way

$6.23 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $3.42 $6.83
premium $4.93 $3.90 $7.80
diesel $5.60 $4.43 $8.86

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 $2.11 $0.96
Efficient EV 5 0 $1.76 $0.80
EV Truck/SUV 8 0 $2.81 $1.29

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 22, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Late night in Chicago on Friday

Local time

2:48 AM

CDT

Current temp

78°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NNW 10 to 15 mph 22% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 22 at 12:07PM EDT until August 26 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 22 at 12:07PM EDT until August 28 at 10:30AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Wilmette, IL

Late night in Wilmette on Friday

Local time

2:48 AM

CDT

Current temp

78°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 10 to 15 mph 23% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 22 at 12:07PM EDT until August 26 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 22 at 12:07PM EDT until August 28 at 10:30AM EDT 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

30m 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 is mostly highway, with 83% of the 20.1 miles on expressways. You'll experience an uninterrupted stretch of 8.2 miles on the Kennedy Expressway. Expect to encounter frequent exits and merges as you navigate the urban expressway system. Surface roads will become more prominent as you approach your destination.

83% 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: 8.2 mi on Kennedy Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Kennedy Expressway and Edens 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 7/10

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 20.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

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.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

638 ft 576 ft

Total Climb

89 ft

Total Descent

39 ft

Highest Point

638 ft

~20.1 mi in

Elevation Range

62 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 Wilmette, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1872

Wilmette is 16 miles (25 km) north of Chicago. It is part of the affluent corridor of lakefront Chicago suburbs known as the North Shore. It is the location of the world's oldest still-standing Bahá'í House of Worship.

Top landmarks

  • • Bahá'í House of Worship for the North American Continent — Bahá'í temple in Wilmette, Illinois, United States
  • • Chicago and Northwestern Depot — railway station in Wilmette, the United States of America
  • • Frank J. Baker House — house in Wilmette, Illinois, United States

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 30m. Total distance: 20.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.2 miles on Kennedy Expressway. 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 Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, 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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