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Trip from Chicago, IL to Woodlawn, IL

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

14m

Distance

8 mi

13 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 13m ★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m

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 Woodlawn, IL, IL

Woodlawn, IL

Stéphane Tendon

Trip Overview

The drive from Chicago, IL to Woodlawn, IL covers 8 miles and takes about 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), West 63rd Street, Dan Ryan Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.8 miles on Dan Ryan Expressway (Express). At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.25 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (59%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive from Chicago, IL to Woodlawn, IL covers 8 miles and takes about 14m, 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 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) is the longest continuous segment at about 3.8 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 0.4 miles in near South Halsted Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | South Halsted Street

Turn left onto South Halsted Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
9
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana

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

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana
6
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
7
5.4 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 90 East

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

Use the right lane. Exit 59A Toward I 90 East
8
6 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward 63rd Street

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 58B Toward 63rd Street

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) 3.8 mi 5m
West 63rd Street 1.7 mi 3m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.7 mi <1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
Dan Ryan Expressway (Local) 0.2 mi <1m
South Halsted Street 0.1 mi <1m
South Greenwood Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
South Canalport Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) — 3.8 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Woodlawn, 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

285 ft · 5 sec · South Canalport Avenue
5

Turn slight right

110 ft · 4 sec
6

Take the ramp

455 ft · 11 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 90, I 94 East: Indiana Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.7 mi · 47 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94

3.8 mi · 5 min · Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 59A Toward I 90 East Use the right lane.
11

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 58B Toward 63rd Street Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn straight onto South Yale Avenue

138 ft · 5 sec · South Yale Avenue
14

Turn left onto West 63rd Street

1.7 mi · 3 min · West 63rd Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
15

Turn right onto South Greenwood Avenue

365 ft · 15 sec · South Greenwood Avenue
16

Arrive at destination

South Greenwood Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.25 one way

$2.50 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.37 $2.75
premium $4.89 $1.54 $3.08
diesel $5.61 $1.77 $3.53

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.4 0 $0.84 $0.38
Efficient EV 2 0 $0.70 $0.32
EV Truck/SUV 3.2 0 $1.12 $0.51

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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

Night in Chicago on Thursday

Local time

10:00 PM

CDT

Current temp

68°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

NNW 10 to 15 mph 41% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Woodlawn, IL

Night in Woodlawn on Thursday

Local time

10:00 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

14m 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 Woodlawn, IL covers 8 miles and takes about 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), West 63rd Street, Dan Ryan Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4 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 $1.25 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 12 decision points packed into just 8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South Halsted Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.6 miles (I 90; I 94 / Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Chicago, IL to Woodlawn, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

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