Origin
Itasca, IL
Morning in Itasca on Saturday
Local time
8:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Itasca, 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
41m
Distance
26.4 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 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Itasca, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Itasca to Chicago, expect a straightforward 26.4-mile journey that typically takes about 41 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You will navigate primarily via East Division Street, North Walnut Street, and East Irving Park Road. With a fuel budget of just $4, it is a very cost-effective commute within the Midwest. Because this is a short, localized trip, it offers the flexibility to head into the city and return home easily without the fatigue of a long-haul drive.
About the Cities
Starting in Itasca, IL
Full guide →Itasca is a city in Illinois.
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 41m. Total distance: 26.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Forget about highway cruising on this route, as it features zero percent highway travel. Instead, you are looking at a turn-heavy local drive that requires your full attention as you transition between streets. You will not find any long, uninterrupted stretches here, as the longest segment occurs on East Division Street. The personality of this drive is strictly urban and suburban, defined by frequent turns rather than high-speed interstate miles. Expect a hands-on driving experience where the road conditions change constantly as you navigate from Itasca toward the heart of Chicago.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 20 is the longest continuous segment at about 17.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and North Wood Dale Road. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near North Wood Dale Road.
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 26.4 miles you will encounter 14 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 2.4 miles (North Wood Dale Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (US 20): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
North Wood Dale Road
Turn right onto North Wood Dale Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
6.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 20
Take the ramp onto US 20 toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago
5
24.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
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
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana, Taylor St...
7
24.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
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
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana
7
25.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward 18th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 20 | 17.5 mi | 24m |
| North Wood Dale Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Lake Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| East Irving Park Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Dan Ryan Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Division Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Walnut Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Cermak Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 17.5 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Itasca, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on Arlington Heights Road
10 ft
·
4 sec
·
Arlington Heights Road
2
Turn left onto East Division Street
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
East Division Street
3
Turn left onto North Walnut Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
North Walnut Street
4
Turn left onto IL 19
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
East Irving Park Road
5
Turn right onto North Wood Dale Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
North Wood Dale Road
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto US 20
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Lake Street
7
Take the ramp onto US 20
17 mi
·
24 min
·
US 20
Toward I 290 East, US 20 East: Chicago
Use the left lane.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana, Taylor Street, Roosevelt Road
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East: Indiana
10
Merge onto I 90; I 94
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
13
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
14
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
15
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
16
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
17
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.13 one way
$8.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.53 | $9.06 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 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 | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
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
Chicago, IL
Morning in Chicago on Saturday
Local time
8:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 15 mph
98% chance
Live 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
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
25 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
41m 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 Itasca, IL to Chicago, IL covers 26.4 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 20, North Wood Dale Road, Lake Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.2 miles from Itasca, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.13 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 26.4 miles you will encounter 14 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 2.4 miles (North Wood Dale Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (US 20): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Itasca, IL to Chicago, 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.
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