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Trip from Chicago, IL to Farmington, IL

Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology

Drive Time

1h 9m

Distance

41.6 mi

67 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 4m ★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

Downtown Farmington, IL, IL

Farmington, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

The drive from Chicago, IL to Farmington, IL covers 41.6 miles and takes about 1h 9m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Eisenhower Expressway, East Stearns Road, Lake Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.1 miles on Eisenhower Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.50 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 41.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive from Chicago, IL to Farmington, IL covers 41.6 miles and takes about 1h 9m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Eisenhower Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.1 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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 around 0.2 miles in near West Cermak Road.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 41.6 miles you will encounter 13 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 (West Cermak Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~1m in | West Cermak Road

At end of road, turn left onto West Cermak Road

Navigation decision point

6
2.7 mi into trip | ~6m in | West Van Buren Street

Turn left onto West Van Buren Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
8
15 mi into trip | ~23m in | I 290

Keep slight right at fork onto I 290 toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford, Milwaukee

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford,...
8
19 mi into trip | ~28m in | US 20

Take the exit onto US 20 toward US 20 West, IL 64 West: Lake Street, York Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Exit 12 Toward US 20 West, IL 64 West: Lake Street, Yor...
7
19.1 mi into trip | ~29m in | US 20

Keep slight left at fork onto US 20 toward US 20 West: Lake Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward US 20 West: Lake Street

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Chicago, IL to Farmington, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Milwaukee along the way.

Milwaukee

15 mi in | ~23m | via I 290

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Eisenhower Expressway 12.1 mi 16m
East Stearns Road 7.6 mi 13m
Lake Street 5.9 mi 10m
US 20 5.4 mi 8m
I 290 3.9 mi 5m
South Ashland Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
IL 25 1.6 mi 2m
Greenbrook Boulevard 1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Eisenhower Expressway — 12.1 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Farmington, IL.

1

Start on this road

0.2 mi · 1 min · this road
2

At end of road, turn left onto West Cermak Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Cermak Road
3

Turn right onto South Ashland Avenue

1.7 mi · 3 min · South Ashland Avenue
4

Turn left onto West Van Buren Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · West Van Buren Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward I 290 West
6

Merge onto I 290; IL 110

12 mi · 16 min · Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 290

3.9 mi · 5 min · I 290
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North Toll: Rockford, Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit onto US 20

0.1 mi · 15 sec · US 20
Exit 12 Toward US 20 West, IL 64 West: Lake Street, York Road Use the right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto US 20

5.3 mi · 8 min · US 20
Toward US 20 West: Lake Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on US 20

5.9 mi · 10 min · Lake Street
Use the left / uturn lanes.
11

Turn left onto Greenbrook Boulevard

1.0 mi · 1 min · Greenbrook Boulevard
Use the left lane.
12

Continue on East Stearns Road

7.6 mi · 13 min · East Stearns Road
Use the left lane.
13

Continue on IL 25

1.6 mi · 2 min · IL 25
14

Continue on Red Gate Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Red Gate Road
15

Turn left onto IL 31

0.4 mi · 42 sec · IL 31
16

Turn left onto Bluff Drive

264 ft · 14 sec · Bluff Drive
17

Turn right onto Meadow Drive

391 ft · 22 sec · Meadow Drive
18

Turn left onto Highview Court

439 ft · 18 sec · Highview Court
19

Arrive at destination

Highview Court

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 20.8 mi from Chicago, IL · 32m into the drive

city in Addison Township, DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Wood Dale, IL

21 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

St. Charles, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Wood Dale, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.8 miles from Chicago, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Farmington, IL

The final approach into Farmington, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.50 one way

$13.01 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.14 $14.28
premium $4.89 $8.01 $16.01
diesel $5.61 $9.18 $18.37

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.5 0 $4.37 $2.00
Efficient EV 10.4 0 $3.64 $1.66
EV Truck/SUV 16.6 0 $5.82 $2.66

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (67% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Late night in Chicago on Friday

Local time

1:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

W 10 to 15 mph 39% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 7:58AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 7:30AM CDT until April 17 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Farmington, IL

Late night in Farmington on Friday

Local time

1:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

47°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

23 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

1h 9m 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 Chicago, IL to Farmington, IL covers 41.6 miles and takes about 1h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Eisenhower Expressway, East Stearns Road, Lake Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.8 miles from Chicago, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.50 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 41.6 miles you will encounter 13 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 (West Cermak Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 290): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Chicago, IL to Farmington, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Milwaukee along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

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