Traveling from Chicago to Franklin Park is a quick, straightforward journey spanning 17.3 miles within the Midwest. You can expect to complete this trip in about 28 minutes, making it a highly efficient excursion that easily fits into a single day. With a fuel cost of just $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly transit between these two Illinois locations. Since the entire drive takes less than half an hour, there is absolutely no need for an overnight stay or complex logistics. It serves as a simple, practical connection for those needing to navigate between the city and the suburbs.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive as you navigate your way out of the city. Because the route consists entirely of local roads with 0% highway share, you will be dealing with constant traffic adjustments rather than high-speed cruising. There is no singular long, uninterrupted stretch, so your focus will remain on maneuvering through urban and suburban intersections. This drive lacks the monotony of an interstate grind, requiring you to stay alert and ready for frequent turns. It is a functional, stop-and-go experience that prioritizes short-distance navigation over scenic highway transit.
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 9.8 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 Effort5/10
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 17.3 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 points
These 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
12.7 mi into trip|~20m in
Take the exit toward North 25th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 18B
Toward North 25th Avenue
5
17.3 mi into trip|~28m in|Franklin Avenue
Turn left onto Franklin Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Eisenhower Expressway
9.8 mi
13m
South 25th Avenue
4.4 mi
8m
South Ashland Avenue
1.7 mi
3m
West Cermak Road
0.8 mi
1m
West Van Buren Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Franklin Avenue
<0.1 mi
—
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Eisenhower Expressway
— 9.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chicago, IL and Franklin Park, 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
9.8 mi·13 min·Eisenhower Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Exit 18BToward North 25th AvenueUse the slight right lane.
8
Turn straight onto South 25th Avenue
4.4 mi·8 min·South 25th Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto Franklin Avenue
45 ft·0 sec·Franklin Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
Franklin Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.70 one way
$5.41 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg6 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$2.97
$5.94
premium
$4.89
$3.33
$6.66
diesel
$5.61
$3.82
$7.64
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
5.2
0
$1.82
$0.83
Efficient EV
4.3
0
$1.51
$0.69
EV Truck/SUV
6.9
0
$2.42
$1.11
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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 18, 2026
Origin
Chicago, IL
Late night
in Chicago on Saturday
Local time
3:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 15 mph98% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:54AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 1:33AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Destination
Franklin Park, IL
Late night
in Franklin Park on Saturday
Local time
3:38 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
21 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
28m 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 Franklin Park, IL covers 17.3 miles and takes about 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Eisenhower Expressway, South 25th Avenue, South Ashland Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.6 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 $2.70 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 17.3 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 Franklin Park, 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.
