Origin
Gages Lake, IL
Late night in Gages Lake on Sunday
Local time
3:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gages Lake, 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
1h 2m
Distance
44.5 mi
72 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gages Lake, IL
PIE
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head from Gages Lake to Chicago, expect a straightforward 44.5-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 2 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited as a simple one-day excursion, as it does not require an overnight stay or a complex itinerary. With a fuel budget of roughly $7, it is an affordable way to reach the city from the northern suburbs. Because both locations are situated within the Midwest, the transition between them is seamless and familiar. You will find that the lack of required stops makes this a highly efficient route for those looking to reach their destination quickly. It is a practical, no-fuss drive that serves as a reliable connection between the two Illinois communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13.7 mi | 17m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| North Skokie Highway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| Belvidere Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Buckley Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.7 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gages Lake, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on West Kewaunee Drive
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
West Kewaunee Drive
2
Turn left onto North Mill Road
375 ft
·
14 sec
·
North Mill Road
3
Turn right onto West Gages Lake Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Gages Lake Road
4
Turn right onto Hunt Club Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hunt Club Road
Use the right lane.
5
At end of road, turn left onto IL 120
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Belvidere Road
6
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 94 Toll East: Chicago
7
Merge onto I 94
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 13
Toward IL 137: Buckley Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto IL 137
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Buckley Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto US 41
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
North Skokie Highway
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on US 41
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Skokie Valley Road
12
Continue on US 41
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 94; US 41
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
15
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
18
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
19
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
20
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
21
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
22
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from Gages Lake, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 43.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Mill Road
Turn left onto North Mill Road
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Hunt Club Road
Turn right onto Hunt Club Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
6.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward IL 137: Buckley Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward IL 137: Buckley Road
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
IL 137 / Buckley Road
Turn left onto IL 137 / Buckley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
43.5 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward 18th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.96 one way
$13.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.64 | $15.28 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.56 | $17.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.83 | $19.65 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.11
Tri-state Tollway
(1.8 mi)
$0.11
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$0
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.67 | $2.14 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.89 | $1.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.23 | $2.85 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Destination
Chicago, IL
Late night in Chicago on Sunday
Local time
3:01 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
64°F
Northfield, IL
22 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
2 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 2m 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 as you navigate away from the suburban landscape. Unlike a monotonous interstate grind, this route features no highway driving, meaning you will be dealing with local roads throughout the entire 44.5-mile duration. Expect to be frequently adjusting your speed and steering as the path winds through the region. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, the drive feels active and requires constant engagement from the driver. You will feel the character of the road change as you transition from the quieter streets of Gages Lake into the more dense, urban environment of Chicago.
51% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.7 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Mill Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.5 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.1 miles (North Mill Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (Hunt Club Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
771 ft
574 ft
Total Climb
94 ft
Total Descent
277 ft
Highest Point
771 ft
Elevation Range
197 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Gages Lake, 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 1h 2m. Total distance: 44.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.7 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.11 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 0.1 miles (North Mill Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (Hunt Club Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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