Origin
South Chicago Heights, IL
Morning in South Chicago Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Chicago Heights, IL to Chicago, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
31.7 mi
51 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Chicago Heights, IL
John Hill
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
Traveling from South Chicago Heights to Chicago covers a quick 31.8-mile distance that typically takes about 39 minutes. Because this is a short trip within the Midwest, you can easily complete the journey in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You should budget approximately $5 for fuel, making this an incredibly cost-effective excursion. Since there are no planned stops required, you have the flexibility to head straight to your destination. It is a straightforward local drive perfect for those looking to reach the city quickly without the hassle of a long-haul trek.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bishop Ford Freeway | 10.7 mi | 14m |
| Calumet Expressway | 7.2 mi | 9m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| West Sauk Trail | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Canalport Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Halsted Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bishop Ford Freeway
— 10.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Chicago Heights, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on West Sauk Trail
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
West Sauk Trail
2
Turn left onto IL 394
7.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Calumet Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Continue on I 94
7.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Bishop Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Bishop Ford Freeway
Toward I 94 West: Chicago Loop
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 94
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Road
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 53A
Toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn slight left onto South Ruble Street
243 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Ruble Street
9
Turn slight left
75 ft
·
4 sec
10
Turn left onto South Canalport Avenue
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
11
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
12
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
13
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
14
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.8 miles from South Chicago Heights, 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 3.2 and 31 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
IL 394 / Calumet Expressway
Turn left onto IL 394 / Calumet Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway toward I 94 West: Chicago Loop
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 West: Chicago Loop
6
24.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Roa...
8
30.6 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
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 53A
Toward Canalport Avenue, Cermak Road
4
31 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
South Canalport Avenue
Turn left onto South Canalport Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.44 | $10.88 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.10 | $12.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.00 | $14.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 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 | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
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
Chicago, IL
Morning in Chicago on Sunday
Local time
9:38 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
25 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
46m 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 monotonous interstate grind. With 0% of the route consisting of highway travel, you will spend the entire 31.8 miles navigating local surface streets. This setup means you will be constantly shifting gears and monitoring intersections rather than settling into a high-speed cruise. The lack of a longest uninterrupted stretch reflects the stop-and-go nature of this journey. Prepare for a hands-on driving experience that demands your full attention as you transition from the outskirts into the urban environment.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on Bishop Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bishop Ford Freeway and Calumet Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.2 miles in near IL 394 / Calumet Expressway.
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 9 decision points packed into just 31.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.2 miles (IL 394 / Calumet Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.3 miles (I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.4 miles (I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
717 ft
576 ft
Total Climb
57 ft
Total Descent
186 ft
Highest Point
717 ft
Elevation Range
141 ft
About the Cities
Starting in South Chicago 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 46m. Total distance: 31.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on Bishop Ford Freeway. 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: at 3.2 miles (IL 394 / Calumet Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.3 miles (I 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.4 miles (I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 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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