Origin
Willowbrook, IL
Evening in Willowbrook on Sunday
Local time
5:32 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Willowbrook, 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
31m
Distance
19.4 mi
31 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Willowbrook, IL
Pho Tomass
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Willowbrook to Chicago, you are looking at a quick 19.5-mile journey that typically takes about 29 minutes. This trip is well-suited for a single-day excursion, as it is a straightforward commute between two locations within the Midwest region. You can expect to spend approximately $3 on fuel for the entire drive. Because this route avoids highways entirely, it functions best as a local connection rather than a long-distance road trip. Whether you are heading into the city for business or a visit, this drive is efficient and requires no overnight stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Adlai Stevenson Expressway | 10 mi | 13m |
| Stevenson Expressway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Plainfield Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South County Line Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Damen Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Blue Island Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Madison Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
— 10 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Willowbrook, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Ridgemoor Drive
91 ft
·
8 sec
·
Ridgemoor Drive
2
Turn right onto South Madison Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Madison Street
3
Turn left onto Plainfield Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Plainfield Road
4
Turn right onto South County Line Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South County Line Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 55
10 mi
·
13 min
·
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Continue on I 55
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 290
Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward Damen Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
440 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn straight onto South Damen Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Damen Avenue
12
Turn right onto South Blue Island Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Blue Island Avenue
13
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Cermak Road
14
Turn right
152 ft
·
11 sec
15
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 16.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
South County Line Road
Turn right onto South County Line Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 55 North: Chicago
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
8
16.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
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 290
Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
8
16.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Damen Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Damen Avenue
9
16.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.03 one way
$6.07 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.33 | $6.66 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.73 | $7.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.28 | $8.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.70 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Evening in Chicago on Sunday
Local time
5:32 PM
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
6 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
31m 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 experience behind the wheel as you navigate this local route. You will spend 0% of your time on highways, relying instead on South Madison Street, Plainfield Road, and South County Line Road to reach your destination. Because the path is entirely local, you will encounter frequent intersections rather than long, uninterrupted stretches of road. The character of this drive is defined by consistent maneuvering through local streets rather than high-speed cruising. It is a practical, hands-on driving experience that demands your full attention as you transition from the suburbs into the city.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on Adlai Stevenson Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Adlai Stevenson Expressway and Stevenson Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near South County Line 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 11 decision points packed into just 19.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (South County Line Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
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 31m. Total distance: 19.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on Adlai Stevenson 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: at 1.5 miles (South County Line Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.5 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 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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