Origin
Chatham, IL
Morning in Chatham on Friday
Local time
11:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chatham, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
29.2 mi
47 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 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
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.
Chatham, IL
Quang Vuong
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This relatively short, 29.2-mile drive from Chatham to Des Plaines, Illinois, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 46 minutes. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 67% of the journey on expressways, giving you a sense of steady progress. You can expect a fuel cost of around $5 for this trip, making it an economical option. Since both your origin and destination are within the Midwest, you'll be traversing familiar regional landscapes. This drive is ideal for a quick transition between these two Illinois locations without the need for an overnight stay.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 29.2 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 (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-centric experience for most of this 29.2-mile trip, with 67% of the route utilizing expressways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.2 miles on the Kennedy Expressway, providing a consistent pace. While the bulk of the drive is on high-speed roads, the profile suggests a shift from the Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) onto North Caldwell Avenue, indicating a transition to more local, potentially slower-paced roads as you approach your destination. It's a drive that prioritizes efficiency over varied scenery.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 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 8.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway (Express). This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East 84th Street.
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 14 decision points packed into just 29.2 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 0.1 miles (East 84th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 84th Street
Turn left onto East 84th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
Turn right onto South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
Navigation decision point
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 94 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 94 West
8
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m 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. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Roa...
7
20.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward US 14 West: Caldwell Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 41A
Toward US 14 West: Caldwell Avenue
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) | 7.9 mi | 11m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Busse Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Oakton Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 8.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chatham, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on this road
315 ft
·
28 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East 84th Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
East 84th Street
3
Turn right onto South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive
4
Turn left onto East 83rd Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 83rd Street
5
Turn right onto South State Street
109 ft
·
2 sec
·
South State Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 94 West
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward I 94 West
8
Merge onto I 94
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
7.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express: Pershing Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 94
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 41A
Toward US 14 West: Caldwell Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn slight right onto US 14
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
14
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn slight right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
16
Turn slight left onto Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
18
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.57 one way
$9.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.01 | $10.02 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.45 | $12.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 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 | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.09 | $1.87 |
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
Des Plaines, IL
Morning in Des Plaines on Friday
Local time
11:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
SW 10 to 15 mph
87% chance
Live forecast
Tornado Watch
Tornado Watch issued April 14 at 5:45PM CDT until April 14 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 14 at 4:05PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Chatham, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 29.2 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kennedy Expressway, Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), North Caldwell Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.6 miles from Chatham, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.57 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 is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 29.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 84th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Chatham, IL to Des Plaines, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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