Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Cicero, IL to Lake Villa, IL

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 14m

Distance

51.2 mi

82 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Lake Villa, IL, IL

Lake Villa, IL

Lovedeep Singh

Trip Overview

Cicero, IL to Lake Villa, IL is 51.2 miles and takes about 1h 14m via Edens Expressway and Grand Avenue, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region and entirely within Illinois. Expect a local driving experience with a significant amount of turns, rather than a straightforward highway cruise. With a driving time under an hour and a half, this route is perfectly suited for a same-day excursion, offering a convenient way to travel between these two Illinois locations without requiring an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Expressway 13.5 mi 17m
Grand Avenue 10.2 mi 15m
South Skokie Highway 9.8 mi 12m
Skokie Highway 3.8 mi 4m
Skokie Valley Road 3.4 mi 3m
South Pulaski Road 2.9 mi 5m
North Pulaski Road 2.1 mi 4m
South Laramie Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Edens Expressway — 13.5 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cicero, IL and Lake Villa, IL.

1

Start on South Laramie Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · South Laramie Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
2

Turn right onto West Roosevelt Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Roosevelt Road
3

Turn left onto IL 50

1.0 mi · 1 min · South Cicero Avenue
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto West Madison Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Madison Street
5

Turn left onto South Pulaski Road

2.9 mi · 5 min · South Pulaski Road
Use the left lane.
6

At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue

170 ft · 10 sec · West Belden Avenue
Use the right lane.
7

Turn left onto North Pulaski Road

2.1 mi · 4 min · North Pulaski Road
8

Turn left onto IL 19

0.2 mi · 20 sec · West Irving Park Road
Use the left lane.
9

Turn slight right onto Kennedy Irving Park Road

389 ft · 16 sec · Kennedy Irving Park Road
10

Turn right onto North Keeler Avenue

394 ft · 19 sec · North Keeler Avenue
11

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
12

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.5 mi · 40 sec · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on I 94

14 mi · 17 min · Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork onto US 41

3.8 mi · 4 min · Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on US 41

3.4 mi · 3 min · Skokie Valley Road
16

Continue on US 41

9.8 mi · 12 min · South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
17

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue Use the slight right lane.
18

Keep slight left at fork

276 ft · 9 sec
Toward IL 132: Great America Use the left lane.
19

Turn slight left onto IL 132

10 mi · 15 min · Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
20

Turn right onto IL 83

0.1 mi · 13 sec · North Milwaukee Avenue
21

Turn right

64 ft · 3 sec
22

Turn right

115 ft · 5 sec
23

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

village in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Northbrook, IL

26 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

Oak Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Northbrook, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.6 miles from Cicero, 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 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 40.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.9 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue

Turn left onto IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
3.9 mi into trip | ~7m in | South Pulaski Road

Turn left onto South Pulaski Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
6.8 mi into trip | ~13m in | West Belden Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
40.6 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the exit toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
8
40.7 mi into trip | ~57m in

Keep slight left at fork toward IL 132: Great America

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward IL 132: Great America

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.00 one way

$16.01 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.79 $17.58
premium $4.89 $9.85 $19.71
diesel $5.61 $11.30 $22.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.4 0 $5.38 $2.46
Efficient EV 12.8 0 $4.48 $2.05
EV Truck/SUV 20.5 0 $7.17 $3.28

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (67% 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 20, 2026

Origin

Cicero, IL

Late night in Cicero on Tuesday

Local time

5:49 AM

CDT

Current temp

55°F

Sunny

S 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 1:05PM CDT until April 21 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 1:04PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Lake Villa, IL

Late night in Lake Villa on Tuesday

Local time

5:49 AM

CDT

Current temp

61°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

6 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

1h 14m 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 route leans heavily on local roads, with only about 27% of the drive on highways. You'll encounter a "turn-heavy local drive" profile, meaning you should anticipate frequent changes in direction and speed. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 13.5 miles along the Edens Expressway, after which you'll transition back to more urban and suburban surface streets. Prepare for a varied driving experience that requires consistent attention to navigation and traffic signals as you navigate through different communities.

Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 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

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 1.9 miles in near IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.2 miles you will encounter 18 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.9 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (South Pulaski Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (West Belden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Cicero, IL

Full guide →

Cicero is a town of 81,000 people (2019) in the Chicagoland area, just west of the Chicago city limits. It became famous when gangster Al Capone moved here to escape from the Chicago Police in the early 1920s.

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 1h 14m. Total distance: 51.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 14m 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 13.5 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Lake Villa, 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 1.9 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (South Pulaski Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (West Belden Avenue): 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 Lake Villa, 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

Explore More

More from Cicero, IL

Anna, IL 340.9 mi · 6h 21m Somerset, IL 339.2 mi · 6h 44m Carbondale, IL 325.9 mi · 6h 9m Granite City, IL 284.6 mi · 5h 21m Washington Park, IL 284.3 mi · 5h 19m Godfrey, IL 280.8 mi · 5h 20m

More trips to Lake Villa, IL

Elmhurst, IL 46 mi Elgin, IL 36.5 mi
Escape planner: Cicero, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Cicero, IL or browse trips ending in Lake Villa, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.