Origin
Clarendon Hills, IL
Late night in Clarendon Hills on Saturday
Local time
5:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clarendon Hills, IL to Chicago, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
18.4 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clarendon Hills, IL
Mike Tyurin
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Chicago, IL covers 18.4 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 55th Street, Stevenson Expressway, Adlai Stevenson Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on 55th Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 35m. Total distance: 18.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Chicago, IL covers 18.4 miles and takes about 35m, 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 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
55th Street is the longest continuous segment at about 5.7 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 7.4 miles in.
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 11 decision points packed into just 18.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
7.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the ramp toward I 55: Chicago, St Louis
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 55: Chicago, St Louis
7
7.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 55 North: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
8
15.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 290
Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
8
15.7 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Damen Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Damen Avenue
9
16 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Chicago, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St Louis along the way.
St Louis
7.4 mi in
|
~16m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 55th Street | 5.7 mi | 12m |
| Stevenson Expressway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Adlai Stevenson Expressway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Damen Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Joliet Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Prospect Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| South Blue Island Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
55th Street
— 5.7 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarendon Hills, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on North Prospect Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
North Prospect Avenue
2
Turn left onto 55th Street
5.7 mi
·
12 min
·
55th Street
3
Continue on Joliet Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Joliet Road
4
Turn right
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Toward IL 71 South
5
Turn straight onto IL 171
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
IL 171
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 55: Chicago, St Louis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 55
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 55
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 290
Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward Damen Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
440 ft
·
12 sec
Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Turn straight onto South Damen Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Damen Avenue
14
Turn right onto South Blue Island Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Blue Island Avenue
15
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Cermak Road
16
Turn right
152 ft
·
11 sec
17
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.73 one way
$5.46 round trip
$3.77/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $3.08 | $6.16 |
| premium | $4.65 | $3.37 | $6.74 |
| diesel | $5.30 | $3.84 | $7.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
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.
Destination
Chicago, IL
Late night in Chicago on Saturday
Local time
5:05 AM
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
18 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
35m 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 Clarendon Hills, IL to Chicago, IL covers 18.4 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 55th Street, Stevenson Expressway, Adlai Stevenson Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.2 miles from Clarendon Hills, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.73 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 11 decision points packed into just 18.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
The main spots that need attention: at 7.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Clarendon Hills, IL to Chicago, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St Louis along the way.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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