Origin
East Hazel Crest, IL
Afternoon in East Hazel Crest on Sunday
Local time
2:01 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from East Hazel Crest, IL to Chicago, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
24.2 mi
39 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
East Hazel Crest, IL
Hugo Sykes
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from East Hazel Crest to Chicago, you are looking at a straightforward 26.1-mile journey within the Midwest. This quick trip typically takes about 33 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $4, it is an incredibly economical route to navigate. Because you remain within Illinois for the entire duration, you won't need to worry about regional transitions or time zone changes. It is a practical, no-nonsense commute that gets you from the suburbs into the heart of the city efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 57 | 8 mi | 10m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 3 mi | 3m |
| 171st Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Center Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Canalport Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 57
— 8 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between East Hazel Crest, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on 174th Street
83 ft
·
9 sec
·
174th Street
2
Turn left onto Center Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Center Avenue
3
Turn left onto 171st Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
171st Street
4
Turn left onto Wood Street
153 ft
·
4 sec
·
Wood Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 294 North, I 80 West: Tri-State Tollway
6
Merge onto I 80; I 294
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 7
Toward I 57 North: Chicago
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 57 North: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 57
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
I 57
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 94
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Road
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 53A
Toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn slight left onto South Ruble Street
243 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Ruble Street
16
Turn slight left
75 ft
·
4 sec
17
Turn left onto South Canalport Avenue
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
18
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
19
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
20
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
21
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 23.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
4.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward I 57 North: Chicago
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7
Toward I 57 North: Chicago
7
5.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 57 North: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 57 North: Chicago
6
17 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Roa...
8
23.2 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 53A
Toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.78 one way
$7.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.15 | $8.31 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.66 | $9.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.34 | $10.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.18
Tri-state Tollway
(3 mi)
$0.18
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
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Destination
Chicago, IL
Afternoon in Chicago on Sunday
Local time
2:01 PM
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
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
25 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate sprint, as this route features zero highway miles. You will be navigating local roads for the entire 26.1-mile distance, which keeps the pace consistent but requires your full attention at intersections. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the drive feels more like a series of connected neighborhood transitions. The lack of highway segments means you will spend the full 33 minutes managing turns and local traffic patterns. Prepare for a hands-on driving experience that prioritizes city navigation over open-road cruising.
72% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on I 57.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and Dan Ryan Expressway (Express). This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near I 294 / Tri-State Tollway.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 17 decision points packed into just 24.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in East Hazel Crest, IL
Full guide →Arriving 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 38m. Total distance: 24.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on I 57. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.18 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.
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 Chicago, 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 2.4 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.1 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 Chicago, 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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