Origin
Albany Park, IL
Afternoon in Albany Park on Friday
Local time
12:52 PM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Albany Park, IL to Chicago, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
10.5 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Albany Park, IL
Willian Justen de Vasconcellos
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
This short 10.5-mile drive from Albany Park to Chicago, Illinois, is a quick 17-minute trip perfect for a single-day adventure. Primarily utilizing the Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway, about 75% of this route is highway driving, making it a straightforward commute. With a low estimated fuel cost of just $2, this trip is very budget-friendly. Given its brevity, no overnight stays are necessary, offering flexibility in your schedule. This route keeps you within the Midwest region, highlighting the interconnectedness of urban areas in Illinois.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 10.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience on this route, with 75% of the journey on expressways like the Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 6.9 miles on the Kennedy Expressway, allowing for steady progress. The drive largely consists of navigating major arterial roads and high-speed limited-access highways, characteristic of urban Midwestern travel. While primarily a highway grind, the transition onto North Pulaski Road offers a brief change of pace before rejoining the expressway system.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Kennedy Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Kennedy Expressway and North Pulaski Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Pulaski Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 10.5 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 0.2 miles (North Pulaski Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Pulaski Road
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway
Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
9.5 mi into trip
|
~14m 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
4
10 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
South Halsted Street
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
Navigation decision point
4
10.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
West Cermak Road
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 6.9 mi | 10m |
| North Pulaski Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Lawrence Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Union Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Halsted Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Canalport Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 6.9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Albany Park, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on West Lawrence Avenue
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
West Lawrence Avenue
2
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Pulaski Road
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
4
Merge onto I 90; I 94
6.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
8
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
9
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
10
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
11
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
12
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.64 one way
$3.28 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.80 | $3.60 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.02 | $4.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.32 | $4.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.10 | $0.50 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.92 | $0.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Afternoon in Chicago on Friday
Local time
12:52 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
5 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
17m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Albany Park, IL to Chicago, IL covers 10.5 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kennedy Expressway, North Pulaski Road, Dan Ryan Expressway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.3 miles from Albany Park, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.64 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.5 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Pulaski Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Albany Park, IL to Chicago, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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