Origin
Chicago, IL
Morning in Chicago on Saturday
Local time
6:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago, IL to River Forest, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
River Forest, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 11.9-mile drive from Chicago to River Forest, Illinois, is easily manageable in about 22 minutes. It's a perfect single-day trip, with no need for an overnight stay, and a minimal fuel cost of around $2. The route primarily utilizes the Eisenhower Expressway, South Harlem Avenue, and South Ashland Avenue, offering a mixed driving experience within the Midwest region. Given its brevity, this trip is ideal for a quick excursion or an easy commute between these two Illinois locations.
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 22m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
You'll encounter a mixed drive profile on this route, with 55% of the journey on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 6.6 miles along the Eisenhower Expressway, which provides a faster pace for a significant portion of the trip. After this highway segment, the drive transitions, incorporating local roads like South Harlem Avenue and South Ashland Avenue. This blend means you'll experience both efficient travel and more typical urban street driving.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 10 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 6.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Cermak 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 11.9 miles you will encounter 8 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 3 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 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 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.
5
3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 21B
Toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue
5
11.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Augusta Street
Turn left onto Augusta Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Expressway | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| South Harlem Avenue | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| South Ashland Avenue | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Augusta Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Van Buren Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eisenhower Expressway
— 6.6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and River Forest, 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
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 21B
Toward IL 43: Harlem Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Turn right onto IL 43
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
South Harlem Avenue
9
Turn left onto Augusta Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Augusta Street
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
Augusta Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.86 one way
$3.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.04 | $4.09 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.29 | $4.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 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 | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
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
River Forest, IL
Morning in River Forest on Saturday
Local time
6:53 AM
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
22m 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 River Forest, IL covers 11.9 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Eisenhower Expressway, South Harlem Avenue, South Ashland Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6 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 $1.86 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 11.9 miles you will encounter 8 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 3 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Chicago, IL to River Forest, 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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