Origin
Park Ridge, IL
Late night in Park Ridge on Sunday
Local time
1:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Park Ridge, IL to Forest Park, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
11.5 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 22m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Park Ridge, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Forest Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Park Ridge, IL to Forest Park, IL is 11.5 miles and takes about 23 minutes via North 1st Avenue, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Illinois, connecting two Midwest communities. Given its brief length and surface road profile, this drive is ideal for a quick errand or an easy addition to a larger trip. You won't encounter much highway driving, so expect a more local feel as you navigate through towns. It's a straightforward trip perfect for a single day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North 1st Avenue | 3.2 mi | 7m |
| North East River Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| South Dee Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| North Cumberland Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Madison Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| North Thatcher Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Montrose Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North 1st Avenue
— 3.2 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and Forest Park, IL.
1
Start on this road
24 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue
92 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Greenwood Avenue
3
Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
4
Turn left onto South Dee Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Dee Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on North East River Road
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North East River Road
6
Continue on West Montrose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Montrose Avenue
7
Turn right onto IL 171
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Cumberland Avenue
8
Continue on IL 171
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Thatcher Avenue
9
Turn straight onto IL 171
3.2 mi
·
7 min
·
North 1st Avenue
10
Turn left onto Madison Street
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Madison Street
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
Madison Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.5 — 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
|
North Greenwood Avenue
Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Dee Road
Turn left onto South Dee Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
4.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
IL 171 / North Cumberland Avenue
Turn right onto IL 171 / North Cumberland Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
10.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Madison Street
Turn left onto Madison Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.75 one way
$3.51 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $1.93 | $3.86 |
| premium | $4.81 | $2.18 | $4.35 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $2.45 | $4.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.21 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Forest Park, IL
Late night in Forest Park on Sunday
Local time
1:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Partly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog
ENE 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
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
23m 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 trip is entirely on surface roads, with zero highway miles. The longest continuous stretch you'll be on is 3.2 miles along North 1st Avenue. You'll be navigating local streets for the majority of the 11.5-mile drive, which takes approximately 23 minutes. Expect typical urban and suburban traffic patterns as you make your way.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.2 mi on North 1st Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Greenwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (West Touhy Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (South Dee Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Park Ridge, IL
Full guide →Founded 1873
Park Ridge is a city in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicagoland, just outside of Chicago. It has a lively uptown area that has plenty of local businesses and restaurants. You can watch a film at the historic Pickwick Theatre or have a pool day at Centennial Park. Park Ridge is a great and accessible small town to escape to for a day trip, with lots of fun and exciting activities to fill your schedule.
Top landmarks
- • Pickwick Theatre — movie theatre in Park Ridge, Illinois, United States
- • Park Ridge Youth Campus — former school/orphanage in Park Ridge, Illinois
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 23m. Total distance: 11.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.2 miles on North 1st Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (West Touhy Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (South Dee Road): 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 Forest Park, 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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