Origin
Riverwoods, IL
Morning in Riverwoods on Tuesday
Local time
10:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverwoods, 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
45m
Distance
30.6 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverwoods, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
Traveling from Riverwoods to Cicero covers a manageable 30.6-mile distance that typically takes about 45 minutes to complete. Because this is a short trip within the Midwest, you can easily handle the entire journey in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Your travel budget remains minimal, with estimated fuel costs totaling around $5 for the one-way trek. You will navigate a mix of major thoroughfares, including the Edens Expressway, the Edens Spur, and North Pulaski Road. This route is ideal for those seeking a straightforward transit between the northern suburbs and the western suburbs of the Chicago area. It functions best as a direct commute or a quick day trip, offering plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13.7 mi | 17m |
| North Pulaski Road | 5 mi | 9m |
| Edens Spur | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| South Laramie Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Deerfield Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| North Cicero Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Madison Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.7 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Riverwoods, IL and Cicero, IL.
1
Start on Portwine Road
6 ft
·
7 sec
·
Portwine Road
2
Turn left onto Deerfield Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Deerfield Road
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
4
Merge onto I 94
0.8 mi
·
53 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Spur
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
Use the slight left lane.
6
Continue on I 94; US 41
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Kennedy Expressway
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 44A
Toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on Kennedy Irving Park Road
389 ft
·
16 sec
·
Kennedy Irving Park Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
Turn slight left onto IL 19
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
West Irving Park Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Turn right onto North Pulaski Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Pulaski Road
12
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
170 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
13
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
North Pulaski Road
14
Turn right onto West Madison Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Madison Street
15
Turn left onto IL 50
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Cicero Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto West Roosevelt Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Roosevelt Road
17
Turn left onto South Laramie Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Laramie Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
South Laramie Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.3 miles from Riverwoods, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 27.7 — 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
|
Deerfield Road
Turn left onto Deerfield Road
Navigation decision point
7
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 94 / Edens Spur
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
8
21.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 44A
Toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
5
23.7 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
West Belden Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
27.7 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue
Turn left onto IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.78 one way
$9.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.76 | $13.51 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.05
Tri-state Tollway
(0.8 mi)
$0.05
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.68 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Morning in Cicero on Tuesday
Local time
10:11 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
45m 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?
Expect a varied experience as you transition between high-speed transit and local navigation. About 46% of your drive consists of highway travel, providing a steady pace during the initial segments. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch on the Edens Expressway, which accounts for 13.7 miles of the total distance. As you move away from the expressway and transition toward North Pulaski Road, the driving environment shifts from a wide-open interstate feel to more localized traffic patterns. This mixed-drive profile requires you to stay alert as the road character evolves from fast-moving lanes to more traditional surface streets.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.7 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 early in the drive near Deerfield Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 30.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
684 ft
591 ft
Total Climb
68 ft
Total Descent
120 ft
Highest Point
684 ft
~2.2 mi in
Elevation Range
93 ft
About the Cities
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 45m. Total distance: 30.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). 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 13.7 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.05 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 (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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