Origin
Prospect Heights, IL
Late night in Prospect Heights on Tuesday
Local time
5:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prospect Heights, IL to Chicago, 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
41m
Distance
25.8 mi
42 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Prospect Heights, IL
Mike Tyurin
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
Traveling from Prospect Heights to downtown Chicago is a straightforward 25.8-mile trip that typically takes about 41 minutes. Because this is a short journey within the Midwest, you can easily complete it as a simple day trip without needing any overnight stays. You should budget approximately $4 for fuel to cover the distance. Since the route involves no formal stops, it is best viewed as a direct commute rather than a leisurely road trip. This drive is a practical way to transition from the suburbs into the city, offering a quick change of scenery for your day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| East Golf Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Rand Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Rand Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Elmhurst Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 8.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prospect Heights, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on West Camp McDonald Road
217 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Camp McDonald Road
2
Turn right onto IL 83
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Elmhurst Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left onto US 12
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Rand Road
4
Continue on US 12
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Rand Road
5
Turn slight left onto IL 58
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
East Golf Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto IL 21
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
7
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 94 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 94
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
15
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
16
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
17
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
18
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
19
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Turn right onto IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
10.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
13.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 East
5
13.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge onto I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
24.8 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward 18th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.03 one way
$8.07 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.43 | $8.86 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.96 | $9.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.70 | $11.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.71 | $1.24 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Late night in Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
5:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 15 mph
98% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:54AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:33AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
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
16 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
41m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. With a highway share of 0%, you will spend your time navigating suburban streets and urban arterial roads. The lack of long, uninterrupted stretches means you will encounter frequent intersections and varying traffic signals along the way. Your hands will stay busy on the wheel as you maneuver through these local turns. It is a functional path that prioritizes reaching your destination over scenic highway cruising.
43% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 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?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 25.8 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
667 ft
576 ft
Total Climb
53 ft
Total Descent
133 ft
Highest Point
667 ft
Elevation Range
91 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Prospect Heights, IL
Full guide →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 41m. Total distance: 25.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). 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.
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: near the start (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: 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 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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