Origin
Green Oaks, IL
Late night in Green Oaks on Tuesday
Local time
5:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Green Oaks, IL to Chicago, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
36.8 mi
59 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Green Oaks, IL
Petra Kopásková
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
Green Oaks to Chicago is 36.8 miles and takes about 51 minutes via Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. You'll primarily be on major expressways, making for a quick transit between your starting point and the bustling city. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion or a simple commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13.7 mi | 17m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| North Skokie Highway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Waukegan Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Atkinson Road | 0.8 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.7 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Green Oaks, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Atkinson Road
0.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Atkinson Road
2
Turn right onto IL 43
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Waukegan Road
3
Turn left onto IL 176
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Rockland Road
4
Turn left onto Shagbark Road
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Shagbark Road
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto US 41
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
North Skokie Highway
6
Continue on US 41
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Skokie Valley Road
7
Continue on US 41
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 94; US 41
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
13
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 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
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.4 miles from Green Oaks, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 36.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Shagbark Road
Turn left onto Shagbark Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 41 / North Skokie Highway
Merge onto US 41 / North Skokie Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
7
35.8 mi into trip
|
~48m 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
4
36.3 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
South Halsted Street
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
Navigation decision point
4
36.5 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
West Cermak Road
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.75 one way
$11.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.32 | $12.63 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.08 | $14.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.12 | $16.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.77 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.36 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 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 Tuesday
Local time
5:20 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
3 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
51m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 mostly highway, with 62% of the drive on expressways. You'll encounter a stretch of 13.7 miles on the Edens Expressway before transitioning to other main roads. Expect a high volume of exits and merging traffic as you approach Chicago, characteristic of urban expressway driving. The remaining portion of the drive will likely involve city surface streets.
62% 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: 13.7 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in near Shagbark Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 36.8 miles you will encounter 10 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 2 miles (Shagbark Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (US 41 / North Skokie Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 35.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 51m. Total distance: 36.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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.
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 miles (Shagbark Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (US 41 / North Skokie Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 35.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Chicago, IL
More trips to Chicago, IL
Explore more options from Green Oaks, IL or browse trips ending in Chicago, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.