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Trip from Park Ridge, IL to South Chicago, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

44m

Distance

29.2 mi

47 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 41m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Park Ridge, IL

Wikimedia Commons

community area in Chicago, Illinois

South Chicago, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Park Ridge, IL to South Chicago, IL is 29.2 miles and takes about 44m via Kennedy Expressway/Chicago Skyway/Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, connecting two points in Illinois. It's a relatively short drive that's mostly highway, so it's a straightforward option for moving between these areas. Expect a quick transit time, making it ideal if you're looking for efficiency.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kennedy Expressway 8.1 mi 11m
Chicago Skyway 5 mi 7m
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) 3.8 mi 5m
West Touhy Avenue 2.7 mi 5m
Dan Ryan Expressway 2.4 mi 2m
North Caldwell Avenue 2.4 mi 3m
Edens Expressway 2.1 mi 2m
South Commercial Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Kennedy Expressway — 8.1 mi, about 11m

Traffic on I-94

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 3 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~8,925 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~1,444 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

6.2×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 49 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and South Chicago, IL.

1

Start on this road

24 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue

92 ft · 10 sec · North Greenwood Avenue
3

Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue

2.7 mi · 5 min · West Touhy Avenue
4

Turn right onto US 14

2.4 mi · 3 min · North Caldwell Avenue
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 94 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 94

2.1 mi · 2 min · Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 90; I 94

8.1 mi · 11 min · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8

Continue on I 90; I 94

2.4 mi · 2 min · Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94

3.8 mi · 5 min · Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 59A Toward I 90 East Use the right lane.
11

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.5 mi · 49 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Use the slight left lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90

4.5 mi · 6 min · Chicago Skyway
Exit 59A Toward I 90 East Use the slight left lane.
13

Turn straight onto I 90

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Chicago Skyway
14

Merge onto I 90

0.3 mi · 40 sec · Chicago Skyway
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Exit 105 Toward Anthony Avenue, 92nd Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Turn left onto South Anthony Avenue

361 ft · 10 sec · South Anthony Avenue
17

Turn left onto East 92nd Street

0.3 mi · 50 sec · East 92nd Street
18

Turn left onto South Commercial Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Commercial Avenue
19

Turn left onto East 86th Street

0.2 mi · 38 sec · East 86th Street
20

Turn right

217 ft · 15 sec
21

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 5.1 and 27.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
5.1 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the ramp toward I 94 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 94 East
6
17.9 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
7
21.7 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward I 90 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 59A Toward I 90 East
8
22.7 mi into trip | ~33m in | I 90 / Chicago Skyway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90 / Chicago Skyway toward I 90 East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 59A Toward I 90 East
8
27.6 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward Anthony Avenue, 92nd Street

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 105 Toward Anthony Avenue, 92nd Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.45 one way

$8.91 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $4.91 $9.81
premium $4.81 $5.53 $11.05
diesel $5.40 $6.21 $12.42

Estimated Tolls: $6.47

Chicago Skyway $6.15
Chicago Skyway (4.5 mi) $0.32

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$6

Total

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.8 0 $3.07 $1.40
Efficient EV 7.3 0 $2.55 $1.17
EV Truck/SUV 11.7 0 $4.09 $1.87

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 25, 2026

Origin

Park Ridge, IL

Night in Park Ridge on Saturday

Local time

10:15 PM

CDT

Current temp

53°F

Mostly Sunny

NNE 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 4:36PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 4:36PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

South Chicago, IL

Night in South Chicago on Saturday

Local time

10:15 PM

CDT

Current temp

44°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

9 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

44m 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 drive is 58% highway, with an 8.1-mile stretch on the Kennedy Expressway being the longest continuous highway segment. You'll primarily be on major expressways, including the Kennedy Expressway, Chicago Skyway, and the Dan Ryan Expressway (Express). Expect urban merging and dense traffic patterns as you navigate through these busy corridors. The highway portion will transition to surface roads as you approach your destination.

58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.1 mi on Kennedy Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 5.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 29.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 17.9 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 44m. Total distance: 29.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

44m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (58%). 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 8.1 miles on Kennedy Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $6.47 in tolls one way, starting with Chicago Skyway. 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.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas 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.

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 South 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 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 17.9 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 South 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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