Deerfield, IL to Berwyn, IL is 32.4 miles and takes about 46m via Tri-State Tollway and I 290, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward trip within the Midwest, entirely within Illinois. You'll be navigating through a mix of suburban and urban landscapes. Given the relatively short distance and duration, this route is best suited for a single-day excursion. Plan for a drive that's mostly on surface roads after the initial highway stretch.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Tri-State Tollway
21.8 mi
28m
I 290
4.2 mi
5m
Deerfield Road
1.6 mi
3m
South 1st Avenue
1.4 mi
2m
Cermak Road
1.3 mi
2m
West Cermak Road
0.5 mi
1m
North Waukegan Road
0.3 mi
<1m
1st Avenue Cutoff
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 21.8 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Deerfield, IL and Berwyn, IL.
1
Start on this road
112 ft·10 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto Elder Lane
0.1 mi·34 sec·Elder Lane
3
Turn left onto IL 43
0.3 mi·28 sec·North Waukegan Road
4
Turn right onto Deerfield Road
1.6 mi·3 min·Deerfield Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·42 sec
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
6
Merge onto I 94
0.8 mi·53 sec·Tri-State Tollway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 294
20 mi·25 min·Tri-State Tollway
Toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana, O'HareUse the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit onto I 294
1.0 mi·1 min·Tri-State Tollway
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, IndianaUse the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·48 sec
Exit 31BToward I 290 East: ChicagoUse the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 290
4.2 mi·5 min·I 290
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi·19 sec
Exit 20Toward IL 171: 1st AvenueUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive
381 ft·14 sec·Bataan Drive
13
Turn right onto IL 171
1.4 mi·2 min·South 1st Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto 1st Avenue Cutoff
0.2 mi·31 sec·1st Avenue Cutoff
15
Turn straight onto Cermak Road
1.3 mi·2 min·Cermak Road
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on West Cermak Road
0.5 mi·1 min·West Cermak Road
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
West Cermak Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 16.2 miles from Deerfield, 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 29 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
3.1 mi into trip|~5m in|I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana, O'Hare
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana, O'Hare
7
23.2 mi into trip|~31m in|I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Take the exit onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
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 I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
8
24.1 mi into trip|~33m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 290 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 31B
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
7
28.7 mi into trip|~39m in
Take the exit toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 20
Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
6
29 mi into trip|~40m in|IL 171 / South 1st Avenue
Turn right onto IL 171 / South 1st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.02 one way
$10.05 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg11 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$5.51
$11.02
premium
$4.93
$6.29
$12.57
diesel
$5.60
$7.14
$14.28
Estimated Tolls: $1.32
Tri-state Tollway
(21.8 mi)$1.32
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
9.7
0
$3.40
$1.56
Efficient EV
8.1
0
$2.84
$1.30
EV Truck/SUV
13
0
$4.54
$2.07
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.
Forecast as of Aug 6, 2026
Origin
Deerfield, IL
Late night
in Deerfield on Friday
Local time
2:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Cloudy
W 0 to 5 mph13% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued August 5 at 1:31PM CDT until August 6 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued August 5 at 1:31PM CDT until August 6 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Destination
Berwyn, IL
Late night
in Berwyn on Friday
Local time
2:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
WSW 5 mph21% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued August 5 at 1:31PM CDT until August 6 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued August 5 at 1:31PM CDT until August 6 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
85°F
Elmhurst, IL
16 mi 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
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
46m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive features 13% highway use, with the longest continuous highway segment being 21.8 miles on the Tri-State Tollway. After this initial tollway portion, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of the trip. Expect a good number of exits and potential merging traffic as you navigate through developed areas. The latter half of the route will feel more like typical suburban driving.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.8 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 3.1 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.
Driving Effort9/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 32.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
691 ft618 ft
Total Climb
59 ft
Total Descent
130 ft
Highest Point
691 ft
~23.7 mi in
Elevation Range
73 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Deerfield, IL and Berwyn, IL, road signs point toward O'hare and Indiana.
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 32.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m 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 21.8 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.32 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.
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 Berwyn, 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 3.1 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Berwyn, IL before heading back.
