Origin
Franklin Park, IL
Late night in Franklin Park on Saturday
Local time
1:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
17.9 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franklin Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Traveling from Franklin Park to Chicago is a quick, straightforward journey that spans just 17.9 miles. You can expect the drive to take roughly 28 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a simple day trip within the Midwest. Since the entire distance is easily covered in under an hour, you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or long-haul planning. With a fuel budget of only $3, this is an incredibly economical route to navigate. It serves as a practical connection between the suburban environment of Franklin Park and the urban center of Chicago.
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 17.9 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 (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. Because the highway share is 0%, you will spend your entire time navigating surface streets and local infrastructure. There are no long, uninterrupted highway stretches here; instead, you should prepare for a series of turns that require your full attention. The personality of this road is defined by its stop-and-go nature and urban navigation. You will feel the transition from the quieter streets of Franklin Park into the denser, more complex road network of Chicago throughout the 28-minute trip.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Eisenhower Expressway and 25th Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 25th Avenue.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 17.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (25th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto 25th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 290; IL 110 / Eisenhower Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana, Taylor Street, Roosevelt Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward 18th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Expressway | 11.1 mi | 15m |
| 25th Avenue | 4.5 mi | 8m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Union Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Halsted Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Canalport Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin Park, IL and Chicago, IL.
Start on Franklin Avenue
Turn right onto 25th Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 290; IL 110
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 90; I 94
Take the exit
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
Turn left
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$2.80 one way
$5.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.07 | $6.15 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.44 | $6.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.95 | $7.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 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 | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.57 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Franklin Park on Saturday
Local time
1:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Chicago on Saturday
Local time
1:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Widespread Fog
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 10:12PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 10:12PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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.
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