Origin
Chicago, IL
Evening in Chicago on Thursday
Local time
5:09 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to McCullom Lake, IL
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
55.7 mi
90 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
McCullom Lake, IL
Sean Ewing
Trip Overview
The drive from Chicago, IL to McCullom Lake, IL covers 55.7 miles and takes about 1h 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East Rand Road, Kennedy Expressway, Milwaukee Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.7 miles on East Rand Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.71 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 27m. Total distance: 55.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 27m drive with frequent turns across 55.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Rand Road is the longest continuous segment at about 18.7 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 0.2 miles in near West Cermak Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.7 miles you will encounter 19 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 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 19 key pointsThese 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 right onto West Cermak Road
Navigation decision point
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Halsted Street
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South Ruble Street
Turn left onto South Ruble Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway
Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.4 mi into trip
|
~18m 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 |
|---|---|---|
| East Rand Road | 18.7 mi | 25m |
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Milwaukee Avenue | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| Palatine Road | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Elm Street | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
East Rand Road
— 18.7 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and McCullom Lake, IL.
1
Start on this road
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
West Cermak Road
3
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Halsted Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
5
Turn left onto South Ruble Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Ruble Street
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
7
Merge onto I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 94
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 41A
Toward US 14 West: Caldwell Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn slight right onto US 14
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
12
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto North Milwaukee Avenue
465 ft
·
11 sec
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on North Milwaukee Avenue
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
15
Continue on IL 21
4.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Milwaukee Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto Old Palatine Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Palatine Road
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on West Palatine Road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
West Palatine Road
18
Take the ramp
359 ft
·
9 sec
Toward Palatine Road
19
Merge onto Palatine Road
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Palatine Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Turn right onto US 12
19 mi
·
25 min
·
East Rand Road
Use the right lane.
21
Continue on US 12; IL 59
0.6 mi
·
46 sec
·
US 12; IL 59
22
Turn left onto IL 120
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
West Belvidere Road
Use the left lane.
23
Continue on IL 120
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Rand Road
24
Continue on IL 120
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Elm Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
25
Turn right onto IL 31
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
Richmond Road
26
Turn left onto McCullom Lake Road
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
McCullom Lake Road
Use the left lane.
27
Turn left onto Eastwood Drive
332 ft
·
20 sec
·
Eastwood Drive
28
Turn left onto Parkview Drive
11 ft
·
0 sec
·
Parkview Drive
29
Arrive at destination
Parkview Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.8 mi from Chicago, IL · 44m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.8 miles from Chicago, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in McCullom Lake, IL
The final approach into McCullom Lake, 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
$8.71 one way
$17.42 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.56 | $19.12 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.72 | $21.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.30 | $24.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.85 | $2.67 |
| Efficient EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.80 | $3.56 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (63% 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
McCullom Lake, IL
Evening in McCullom Lake on Thursday
Local time
5:09 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°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
16 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 27m 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 McCullom Lake, IL covers 55.7 miles and takes about 1h 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Rand Road, Kennedy Expressway, Milwaukee Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.8 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 $8.71 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 55.7 miles you will encounter 19 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 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (South Ruble Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Chicago, IL to McCullom Lake, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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