Origin
Markham, IL
Morning in Markham on Tuesday
Local time
7:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Markham, IL to Willowbrook, 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
34m
Distance
21.6 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Markham, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Willowbrook, IL
Pho Tomass
Trip Overview
Markham to Willowbrook is 21.6 miles and takes about 34 minutes via Calumet Expressway and Tri-State Tollway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, direct trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a straightforward drive that primarily uses major roadways, making it a quick option for moving between these suburban areas. You should expect a fairly typical commute-like experience for much of the way, with limited need for overnight planning due to its brevity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Calumet Expressway | 8.9 mi | 12m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| East Exchange Street | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| South State Line Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Kedzie Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West 159th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Challas Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Buried Oak Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Calumet Expressway
— 8.9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Markham, IL and Willowbrook, IL.
1
Start on 163rd Street
64 ft
·
10 sec
·
163rd Street
2
Turn left onto Kedzie Avenue
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Kedzie Avenue
3
Turn right onto US 6
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 159th Street
4
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 294 South Toll: Indiana
5
Merge onto I 294
136 ft
·
1 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 94 West, IL 394 South: Chicago, Danville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward IL 394 South: Danville
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto IL 394
8.9 mi
·
12 min
·
Calumet Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto CH 49
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
East Exchange Street
11
Turn left onto South State Line Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South State Line Road
12
Turn left onto Challas Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Challas Drive
13
At end of road, turn right onto Buried Oak Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Buried Oak Drive
14
Turn right onto Longwood Drive
329 ft
·
14 sec
·
Longwood Drive
15
Arrive at destination
Longwood Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Kedzie Avenue
Turn left onto Kedzie Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m 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
7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 94 West, IL 394 South: Chicago, Danville
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.
Toward I 94 West, IL 394 South: Chicago, Danvil...
7
7.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward IL 394 South: Danville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward IL 394 South: Danville
5
7.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
IL 394 / Calumet Expressway
Merge onto IL 394 / Calumet Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.38 one way
$6.75 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.16 | $8.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.77 | $9.54 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.33
Tri-state Tollway
(5.5 mi)
$0.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
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
Willowbrook, IL
Morning in Willowbrook on Tuesday
Local time
7:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
2 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
34m 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 41% highway, with the longest stretch on the Calumet Expressway covering 8.9 miles. You'll transition from highway driving to surface streets as you approach your destination. Expect to navigate a mix of faster-paced expressway travel and more typical suburban road conditions. The density of exits and the merging patterns common on major tollways will likely be a noticeable feature for much of your travel.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on Calumet 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 early in the drive near Kedzie 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 13 decision points packed into just 21.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Kedzie Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Markham, IL to Willowbrook, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Danville along the way.
Danville
7 mi in
|
~10m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 21.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on Calumet Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.33 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 Willowbrook, 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: near the start (Kedzie Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Willowbrook, 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.
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