Origin
Glenwood, IL
Night in Glenwood on Sunday
Local time
10:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glenwood, IL to Chicago, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
26.8 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glenwood, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
This straightforward 26.8-mile drive from Glenwood, IL, to Chicago, IL, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 40 minutes. You'll primarily navigate major expressways, with the Calumet Expressway, Bishop Ford Freeway, and Dan Ryan Expressway forming the backbone of this journey. Given its short distance and focus on highway travel, it's a practical option for a quick connection between these two points within the Midwest region. Expect a fuel cost of around $4 for this trip. The efficient route makes it ideal for those looking to reach their destination without extensive travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bishop Ford Freeway | 10.7 mi | 14m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Calumet Expressway | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Glenwood Dyer Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| South Cottage Grove Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Glenwood Lansing Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bishop Ford Freeway
— 10.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glenwood, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Glenwood Lansing Road
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Glenwood Lansing Road
2
Turn right onto South Cottage Grove Avenue
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Cottage Grove Avenue
3
Turn left onto Glenwood Dyer Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Glenwood Dyer Road
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward IL 394 North
5
Merge onto IL 394
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Calumet Expressway
6
Continue on I 94
7.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Bishop Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Bishop Ford Freeway
Toward I 94 West: Chicago Loop
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 94
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
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
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 53A
Toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn slight left onto South Ruble Street
243 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Ruble Street
12
Turn slight left
75 ft
·
4 sec
13
Turn left onto South Canalport Avenue
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
14
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
15
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
16
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
17
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 25.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Cottage Grove Avenue
Turn right onto South Cottage Grove Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward IL 394 North
Navigation decision point
Toward IL 394 North
7
13.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway toward I 94 West: Chicago Loop
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 West: Chicago Loop
6
19.6 mi into trip
|
~28m 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
25.8 mi into trip
|
~37m 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
$4.19 one way
$8.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.16 | $10.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.92 | $11.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.81 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.75 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Chicago, IL
Night in Chicago on Sunday
Local time
10:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
NNW 10 to 15 mph
41% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
40m 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 is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 89% of the journey on major roadways. You'll experience stretches of efficient travel, including a longest uninterrupted segment of 10.7 miles on the Bishop Ford Freeway. The character is largely that of a busy urban artery, connecting suburbs to the city. Expect a fast-paced environment for most of the 40-minute duration, with the expressways facilitating quick transit.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on Bishop Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bishop Ford Freeway 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 0.3 miles in near South Cottage Grove Avenue.
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 12 decision points packed into just 26.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (South Cottage Grove Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 13.5 miles (I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
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 40m. Total distance: 26.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on Bishop Ford Freeway. 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 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 0.3 miles (South Cottage Grove Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 13.5 miles (I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway): 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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