Skip to main content

Trip from Chicago, IL to Lynwood, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 12m

Distance

50.5 mi

81 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m

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

Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

Downtown Lynwood, IL, IL

Lynwood, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

Chicago, IL to Lynwood, IL is 50.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m via Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward trip within the Midwest, connecting two points in Illinois. Expect a drive with a high degree of turns, indicating you'll be navigating local roads for a significant portion of the journey. While the longest stretch on a highway is 26 miles, the overall profile suggests this isn't a pure interstate cruise. Plan for a day trip, as the duration and distance are easily manageable.

About the Cities

Starting 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.

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 1h 12m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

This route is characterized as a "Turn-heavy local drive," meaning you'll encounter frequent intersections and changes in direction. Although 25% of the drive is on highways like the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway and Eisenhower Expressway, the overall feel will be more about navigating suburban and local streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 26 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, offering a brief period of consistent highway travel. Be prepared to adjust your speed and attention frequently as you transition between faster highway sections and more intricate local road segments.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 26 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in near West Van Buren Street.

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 50.5 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

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.
9
15 mi into trip | ~23m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 15A Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora...
8
16.9 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road)
7
41.1 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward Orchard Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 114 Toward Orchard Road
6
41.5 mi into trip | ~56m in | CR 83 / Orchard Road

Turn left onto CR 83 / Orchard Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Chicago, IL and Lynwood, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).

Indiana

15 mi in | ~23m | via I 88; IL 110

22Nd Street (Cermak Road)

16.9 mi in | ~26m | via I 88; IL 110

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 26 mi 31m
Eisenhower Expressway 12.1 mi 16m
Orchard Road 8 mi 13m
South Ashland Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
West Cermak Road 0.8 mi 1m
US 34 0.7 mi 1m
East Rickard Drive 0.2 mi 1m
West Van Buren Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 26 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Lynwood, 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 left at fork onto I 88; IL 110

1.9 mi · 2 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 15A Toward I 88 West Toll, I 294 South Toll: Aurora, Indiana Use the slight left lane.
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

24 mi · 29 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Exit 138 Toward 22nd Street (Cermak Road) Use the slight right lane.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 114 Toward Orchard Road Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn left onto CR 83

8.0 mi · 13 min · Orchard Road
Use the left lane.
11

Turn right onto US 34

0.2 mi · 16 sec · US 34
Use the right lane.
12

Continue on US 34

0.5 mi · 51 sec · US 34
13

Turn right onto East Rickard Drive

0.2 mi · 1 min · East Rickard Drive
14

Turn left onto Edythe Street

307 ft · 13 sec · Edythe Street
15

Arrive at destination

Edythe Street

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 25.2 mi from Chicago, IL · 36m into the drive

city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Oakbrook Terrace, IL

25 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

Maywood, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Downers Grove, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.2 miles from Chicago, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lynwood, IL

The final approach into Lynwood, 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

$7.90 one way

$15.79 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.67 $17.34
premium $4.89 $9.72 $19.44
diesel $5.61 $11.15 $22.30

Estimated Tolls: $1.56

Reagan Memorial Tollway (26 mi) $1.56

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$2

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.1 0 $5.30 $2.42
Efficient EV 12.6 0 $4.42 $2.02
EV Truck/SUV 20.2 0 $7.07 $3.23

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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 15, 2026

Origin

Chicago, IL

Evening in Chicago on Friday

Local time

6:46 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lynwood, IL

Evening in Lynwood on Friday

Local time

6:46 PM

CDT

Current temp

70°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

19 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

1h 12m 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 Chicago, IL to Lynwood, IL covers 50.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Eisenhower Expressway, Orchard Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 25.2 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 $7.90 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 50.5 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.7 miles (West Van Buren Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Between Chicago, IL and Lynwood, IL, road signs point toward Indiana and 22Nd Street (Cermak Road).

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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Chicago, IL or browse trips ending in Lynwood, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.