Origin
Oak Lawn, IL
Morning in Oak Lawn on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oak Lawn, 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
26m
Distance
14.4 mi
23 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oak Lawn, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
This short, 14.4-mile drive from Oak Lawn, IL to Chicago, IL typically takes about 26 minutes, making it a manageable 1-day trip. You'll navigate through the Midwest region, staying within Illinois for the entire journey. The main roads you'll be using are South Cicero Avenue, the Stevenson Expressway, and West Cermak Road. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, this route is an economical option. The profile suggests a turn-heavy local drive, so be prepared for frequent intersections and traffic lights rather than a long, open highway experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Cicero Avenue | 7.2 mi | 11m |
| Stevenson Expressway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Damen Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West 99th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Blue Island Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 99th Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 54th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Cicero Avenue
— 7.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oak Lawn, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Mulberry Avenue
262 ft
·
13 sec
·
Mulberry Avenue
2
Turn right onto 99th Place
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
99th Place
3
At end of road, turn left onto 54th Avenue
318 ft
·
16 sec
·
54th Avenue
4
Turn right onto West 99th Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 99th Street
5
Turn left onto IL 50
7.2 mi
·
11 min
·
South Cicero Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
7
Merge onto I 55
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 290
Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward Damen Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
440 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn straight onto South Damen Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Damen Avenue
12
Turn right onto South Blue Island Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Blue Island Avenue
13
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Cermak Road
14
Turn right
152 ft
·
11 sec
15
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 11.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
54th Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto 54th Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue
Turn left onto IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
11.5 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
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 290
Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
8
11.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Damen Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Damen Avenue
9
11.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.25 one way
$4.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.47 | $4.94 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.77 | $5.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.18 | $6.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Morning in Chicago on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
20 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
26m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only about 20% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.2 miles on South Cicero Avenue. As you travel, the road character will likely shift between busy urban streets and potentially quicker sections on the Stevenson Expressway. This isn't a high-speed, open-road adventure; it's more about navigating city traffic and making your way through developed areas.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.2 mi on South Cicero Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near 54th 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 14.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (54th Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Oak Lawn, IL
Full guide →Oak Lawn is a city of about 56,000 people (2016) in South Suburbs (Illinois), Chicagoland.
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 26m. Total distance: 14.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.2 miles on South Cicero Avenue. 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 0.2 miles (54th Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 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 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.
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