Origin
Prospect Heights, IL
Late night in Prospect Heights on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prospect Heights, IL to Cicero, 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
42m
Distance
28.7 mi
46 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Prospect Heights, IL
Mike Tyurin
Trip Overview
This 28.7-mile drive from Prospect Heights, IL to Cicero, IL is a manageable one-day trip, taking about 42 minutes to complete. You'll navigate a mix of major roads including the Tri-State Tollway and I-290, with a good portion of the route on local roads. Expect a fuel cost of around $4 for this journey. Given its short distance and relatively quick travel time, it’s ideal for a single-day excursion without the need for an overnight stay. This route stays within the Midwest region and Illinois, offering a straightforward drive through familiar territory.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 11.9 mi | 15m |
| I 290 | 7.8 mi | 10m |
| Rand Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| South Laramie Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Rand Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Elmhurst Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Roosevelt Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Central Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 11.9 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prospect Heights, IL and Cicero, 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
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Rand Road
5
Continue on North Northwest Highway
518 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Northwest Highway
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 294 South: Indiana
7
Merge onto I 294
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit onto I 294
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 31B
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 290
7.8 mi
·
10 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 23B
Toward Central Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto South Central Avenue
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
South Central Avenue
13
Turn left onto West Roosevelt Road
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
West Roosevelt Road
14
Turn right onto South Laramie Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Laramie Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
South Laramie Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.2 — 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
6.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Take the exit onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
8
18 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 290 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 31B
Toward I 290 East: Chicago
7
26.2 mi into trip
|
~37m 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
$4.49 one way
$8.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.93 | $9.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.52 | $11.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.34 | $12.67 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.72
Tri-state Tollway
(11.9 mi)
$0.72
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
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.
Destination
Cicero, IL
Late night in Cicero on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°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
1 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
42m 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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll encounter frequent turns and transitions between different road types. While 27% of the journey utilizes highways, the majority involves navigating local streets. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 11.9 miles on the Tri-State Tollway, offering a brief period of higher-speed travel before you re-enter more complex urban and suburban road networks. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience with varying speed limits and traffic patterns throughout the 42-minute duration.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.9 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 early in the drive near IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 28.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Prospect Heights, IL to Cicero, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Indiana along the way.
Indiana
17 mi in
|
~24m
|
via I 294
About the Cities
Starting in Prospect Heights, IL
Full guide →Arriving in Cicero, IL
Full guide →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.
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 42m. Total distance: 28.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.9 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.72 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state Tollway. 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.
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: near the start (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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