Origin
Lisle, IL
Late night in Lisle on Tuesday
Local time
5:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lisle, 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
38m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lisle, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Lisle to Chicago, you are looking at a quick 26.9-mile transit across the Illinois Midwest. With an estimated travel time of 38 minutes, this journey is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will primarily navigate a combination of the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, the Eisenhower Expressway, and the Dan Ryan Expressway. Budgeting approximately $4 for fuel makes this a very economical commute between the suburbs and the city. Because the duration is so brief, there is no need to worry about overnight lodging or splitting the drive. It is a straightforward, practical connection that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Expressway | 13.2 mi | 18m |
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 10.5 mi | 13m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lincoln Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Union Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southport Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Halsted Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eisenhower Expressway
— 13.2 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lisle, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Main Street
473 ft
·
28 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto Southport Avenue
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Southport Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto IL 53
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Lincoln Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 88 Toll East
5
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana, Taylor Street, Roosevelt Road
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana
10
Merge onto I 90; I 94
0.8 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
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 25.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Southport Avenue
Turn left onto Southport Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
5.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
24.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana
7
25.9 mi into trip
|
~35m 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
$4.21 one way
$8.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.62 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.18 | $10.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.63
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(10.5 mi)
$0.63
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
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 | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $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
Late night in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
5:12 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
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
17 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 mixed-drive experience that leans heavily on major interstate infrastructure. Roughly 52% of your journey takes place on highways, meaning you will spend much of your time at steady cruising speeds. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch while navigating 13.2 miles on the Eisenhower Expressway. The road character transitions from the suburban flow of the tollway into the more complex, high-traffic environment of the city’s expressway system. While it is not a scenic winding road, the route offers a clear, functional path that requires your full attention as you transition into the dense urban landscape.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.2 mi on Eisenhower Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Southport Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 26.9 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 0.1 miles (Southport Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
760 ft
577 ft
Total Climb
124 ft
Total Descent
211 ft
Highest Point
760 ft
~1.9 mi in
Elevation Range
183 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Lisle, IL
Full guide →Founded 1832
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, with a 2010 population of 22,000.
Top landmarks
- • Morton Arboretum — arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, U.S.A.
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: 26.9 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 (52%). 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 13.2 miles on Eisenhower Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.63 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan Memorial 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 (Southport Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
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 Lisle, IL or browse trips ending in Chicago, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.