Origin
Pistakee Highlands, IL
Afternoon in Pistakee Highlands on Friday
Local time
1:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pistakee Highlands, IL to Cicero, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
56.7 mi
91 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pistakee Highlands, IL
NIKOLAI FOMIN
Cicero, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Pistakee Highlands to Cicero is 56.7 miles and takes about 1h 18m via US 12 and I-290, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, traveling from one part of the Midwest to another. Expect a primarily highway experience for most of the drive, making it a straightforward transit between these two points. Given its short duration, it's an ideal route for a single-day trip, allowing plenty of time for activities at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 12 | 24.6 mi | 32m |
| I 290 | 17.5 mi | 23m |
| IL 53 | 11.3 mi | 14m |
| South Laramie Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Roosevelt Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Fox Lake Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Central Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 12
— 24.6 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pistakee Highlands, IL and Cicero, IL.
1
Start on Fox Lake Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Fox Lake Road
2
At end of road, turn right onto US 12
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
US 12
3
Continue on US 12; IL 59
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
US 12; IL 59
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on US 12; IL 59
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
US 12; IL 59
5
Continue on US 12; IL 59
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
US 12; IL 59
6
Continue on US 12; IL 59
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 12; IL 59
7
Continue on US 12; IL 59
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
US 12; IL 59
8
Continue on US 12; IL 59
14 mi
·
20 min
·
US 12; IL 59
Use the left lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward IL 53 South
Use the right lane.
10
Merge onto IL 53
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
IL 53
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290
18 mi
·
23 min
·
I 290
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 23B
Toward Central Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto South Central Avenue
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
South Central Avenue
15
Turn left onto West Roosevelt Road
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
West Roosevelt Road
16
Turn right onto South Laramie Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Laramie Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
South Laramie Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.4 miles from Pistakee Highlands, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 54.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 12
At end of road, turn right onto US 12
Navigation decision point
7
25.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the ramp toward IL 53 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward IL 53 South
8
29.7 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53 toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago, Biesterfield Road
7
36.7 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
I 290
Keep slight right at fork onto I 290 toward I 290 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
7
54.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward Central Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 23B
Toward Central Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.79 one way
$17.58 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $9.64 | $19.28 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.00 | $22.00 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.50 | $25.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17 | 0 | $5.95 | $2.72 |
| Efficient EV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.96 | $2.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.7 | 0 | $7.94 | $3.63 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Cicero, IL
Afternoon in Cicero on Friday
Local time
1:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°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
6 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 18m 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 drive is 94% highway, meaning you'll spend most of your time on high-speed roads. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 24.6 miles on US 12. You'll transition from US 12 to I-290, and eventually IL 53, encountering numerous exits and merges characteristic of highway travel in the Midwest. Surface roads will only feature for a small portion of the total distance.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.6 mi on US 12.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 12 and I 290. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near US 12.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point; at 25.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 29.7 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
871 ft
604 ft
Total Climb
119 ft
Total Descent
279 ft
Highest Point
871 ft
~16.2 mi in
Elevation Range
266 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Cicero, IL
Full guide →Founded 1867
Cicero is a town of 81,000 people (2019) in the Chicagoland area, just west of the Chicago city limits. It became famous when gangster Al Capone moved here to escape from the Chicago Police in the early 1920s.
Top landmarks
- • Hawthorne Works — Factory complex in Cicero, 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 1h 18m. Total distance: 56.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.6 miles on US 12. 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 Cicero, 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 0.5 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point; at 25.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 29.7 miles (IL 53): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Cicero, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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