Origin
Chicago Lawn, IL
Night in Chicago Lawn on Thursday
Local time
11:57 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chicago Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
46m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chicago Lawn, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Des Plaines, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Chicago Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 26.9 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Kennedy Expressway, South Damen Avenue, South Kedzie Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.5 miles on Kennedy Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.21 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Chicago Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 26.9 miles and takes about 46m, 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 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Kennedy Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.5 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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 5 miles in near South Damen Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 26.9 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 5 miles (South Damen Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles (I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
South Damen Avenue
Turn left onto South Damen Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
9.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Turn left toward I 90 West, I 94 West
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
5
9.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway
Merge onto I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.5 mi into trip
|
~31m 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
5
21.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| South Damen Avenue | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| South Kedzie Avenue | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| South Archer Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| West Ogden Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 6.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago Lawn, IL and Des Plaines, IL.
1
Start on this road
146 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto West 65th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
West 65th Street
3
Turn right onto South Kedzie Avenue
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
South Kedzie Avenue
4
Turn right onto South Archer Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South Archer Avenue
5
Turn left onto South Damen Avenue
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
South Damen Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto US 66 Hist
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
West Ogden Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 90; I 94
6.5 mi
·
8 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
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Turn slight right onto Busse Highway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Busse Highway
14
Turn slight left onto Oakton Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Oakton Street
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto South Des Plaines River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Des Plaines River Road
16
Turn left onto Henry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Henry Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Henry Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.21 one way
$8.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.62 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.18 | $10.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Des Plaines, IL
Night in Des Plaines on Thursday
Local time
11:57 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
15 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
46m 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 Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL covers 26.9 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kennedy Expressway, South Damen Avenue, South Kedzie Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.4 miles from Chicago Lawn, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.21 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 26.9 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 5 miles (South Damen Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles (I 90; I 94 / Kennedy Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Chicago Lawn, IL to Des Plaines, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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