Origin
Cicero, IL
Evening in Cicero on Friday
Local time
7:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cicero, IL to Lake Villa, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
51.2 mi
82 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Villa, IL
Lovedeep Singh
Trip Overview
Cicero, IL to Lake Villa, IL is 51.2 miles and takes about 1h 14m via Edens Expressway and Grand Avenue, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region and entirely within Illinois. Expect a local driving experience with a significant amount of turns, rather than a straightforward highway cruise. With a driving time under an hour and a half, this route is perfectly suited for a same-day excursion, offering a convenient way to travel between these two Illinois locations without requiring an overnight stay.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 51.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m 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
This route leans heavily on local roads, with only about 27% of the drive on highways. You'll encounter a "turn-heavy local drive" profile, meaning you should anticipate frequent changes in direction and speed. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 13.5 miles along the Edens Expressway, after which you'll transition back to more urban and suburban surface streets. Prepare for a varied driving experience that requires consistent attention to navigation and traffic signals as you navigate through different communities.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Edens Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.5 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 1.9 miles in near IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.2 miles you will encounter 18 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 1.9 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (South Pulaski Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (West Belden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.9 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue
Turn left onto IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
South Pulaski Road
Turn left onto South Pulaski Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
6.8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
West Belden Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
40.6 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
8
40.7 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Keep slight left at fork toward IL 132: Great America
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward IL 132: Great America
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| Grand Avenue | 10.2 mi | 15m |
| South Skokie Highway | 9.8 mi | 12m |
| Skokie Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Skokie Valley Road | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| South Pulaski Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| North Pulaski Road | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| South Laramie Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cicero, IL and Lake Villa, IL.
1
Start on South Laramie Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Laramie Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
2
Turn right onto West Roosevelt Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Roosevelt Road
3
Turn left onto IL 50
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Cicero Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto West Madison Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Madison Street
5
Turn left onto South Pulaski Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
South Pulaski Road
Use the left lane.
6
At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue
170 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto North Pulaski Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Pulaski Road
8
Turn left onto IL 19
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Irving Park Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn slight right onto Kennedy Irving Park Road
389 ft
·
16 sec
·
Kennedy Irving Park Road
10
Turn right onto North Keeler Avenue
394 ft
·
19 sec
·
North Keeler Avenue
11
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 90 West, I 94 West
12
Merge onto I 90; I 94
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 94
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto US 41
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on US 41
3.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Skokie Valley Road
16
Continue on US 41
9.8 mi
·
12 min
·
South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
18
Keep slight left at fork
276 ft
·
9 sec
Toward IL 132: Great America
Use the left lane.
19
Turn slight left onto IL 132
10 mi
·
15 min
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto IL 83
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
21
Turn right
64 ft
·
3 sec
22
Turn right
115 ft
·
5 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 25.6 mi from Cicero, IL · 39m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.6 miles from Cicero, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Lake Villa, IL
The final approach into Lake Villa, 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
$8.00 one way
$16.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.79 | $17.58 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.85 | $19.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.30 | $22.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.38 | $2.46 |
| Efficient EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.48 | $2.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.5 | 0 | $7.17 | $3.28 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Lake Villa, IL
Evening in Lake Villa on Friday
Local time
7:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°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
4 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
1h 14m 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 Cicero, IL to Lake Villa, IL covers 51.2 miles and takes about 1h 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Edens Expressway, Grand Avenue, South Skokie Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.6 miles from Cicero, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.00 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 51.2 miles you will encounter 18 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 1.9 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (South Pulaski Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (West Belden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Cicero, IL to Lake Villa, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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