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Trip from Lake Forest, IL to Cicero, IL

Data updated 1 hour ago

Drive Time

50m

Distance

33.8 mi

54 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Lake County, Illinois, United States

Lake Forest, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lake Forest, IL to Cicero, IL covers 33.8 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Edens Expressway, North Pulaski Road, Skokie Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.7 miles on Edens Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.28 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

16.9 miles from Lake Forest, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 22m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

The drive from Lake Forest, IL to Cicero, IL covers 33.8 miles and takes about 50m, 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 21 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 13.7 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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Illinois Road.

Route Complexity 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 33.8 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.6 miles (Illinois Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (North Western Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | Illinois Road

At end of road, turn right onto Illinois Road

Navigation decision point

6
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | North Western Avenue

Turn left onto North Western Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
8
24.3 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler 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. Exit 44A Toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue
5
26.9 mi into trip | ~37m in | West Belden Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue

Navigation decision point

6
30.9 mi into trip | ~45m in | IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue

Turn left onto IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Expressway 13.7 mi 17m
North Pulaski Road 5 mi 9m
Skokie Highway 3.8 mi 4m
Skokie Valley Road 3.4 mi 4m
South Laramie Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
North Western Avenue 1.3 mi 2m
East Westleigh Road 1.1 mi 1m
North Cicero Avenue 1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Edens Expressway — 13.7 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lake Forest, IL and Cicero, IL.

1

Start on Griffith Road

71 ft · 3 sec · Griffith Road
2

Turn straight onto East Woodland Road

204 ft · 9 sec · East Woodland Road
3

Turn slight left onto North McKinley Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · North McKinley Road
4

At end of road, turn right onto Illinois Road

238 ft · 12 sec · Illinois Road
5

Turn left onto North Western Avenue

1.3 mi · 2 min · North Western Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
6

At end of road, turn right onto East Westleigh Road

1.1 mi · 1 min · East Westleigh Road
7

Turn left onto US 41

3.4 mi · 4 min · Skokie Valley Road
8

Continue on US 41

3.8 mi · 4 min · Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on I 94; US 41

14 mi · 17 min · Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on I 90; I 94

0.4 mi · 34 sec · Kennedy Expressway
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Exit 44A Toward IL 19: Irving Park Road, Keeler Avenue Use the slight right lane.
12

Continue on Kennedy Irving Park Road

389 ft · 16 sec · Kennedy Irving Park Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13

Turn slight left onto IL 19

0.2 mi · 22 sec · West Irving Park Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
14

Turn right onto North Pulaski Road

2.1 mi · 4 min · North Pulaski Road
15

At end of road, turn right onto West Belden Avenue

170 ft · 10 sec · West Belden Avenue
16

Turn left onto North Pulaski Road

2.9 mi · 5 min · North Pulaski Road
17

Turn right onto West Madison Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Madison Street
18

Turn left onto IL 50

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Cicero Avenue
Use the left lane.
19

Turn right onto West Roosevelt Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Roosevelt Road
20

Turn left onto South Laramie Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · South Laramie Avenue
21

Arrive at destination

South Laramie Avenue

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 16.9 miles from Lake Forest, IL, or about 22m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 13.7 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 33.8 miles or 50m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 16.9 miles or 22m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 40m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cicero, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lake Forest, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Lake Forest, IL

This is one driving day of about 33.8 miles and 50m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Lake Forest, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Edens Expressway for about 13.7 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.9 mi from Lake Forest, IL · 22m into the drive

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; suburb of Chicago, Illinois

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Oak Park, IL

17 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

Berwyn, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Evanston, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.9 miles from Lake Forest, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cicero, IL

The final approach into Cicero, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Cicero, IL.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Pullman National Historical Park

Pullman National Historical Park

National Historical Park

In a growing Chicago neighborhood, diverse people and stories intertwined. All were seeking opportunity. Some succeeded. Others were limited—by race, gender, or economic status. Their stories came tog...

13 mi from route ~32 min detour Free near mile 33.8
Caution: Road Construction Near the Park
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.28 one way

$10.57 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.80 $11.60
premium $4.89 $6.50 $13.01
diesel $5.61 $7.46 $14.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$5

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$30–$55

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.1 0 $3.55 $1.62
Efficient EV 8.5 0 $2.96 $1.35
EV Truck/SUV 13.5 0 $4.73 $2.16

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 data refreshed 4 days ago

Origin

Lake Forest, IL

Evening in Lake Forest on Tuesday

Local time

5:32 PM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cicero, IL

Evening in Cicero on Tuesday

Local time

5:32 PM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

2 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

50m 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 Lake Forest, IL to Cicero, IL covers 33.8 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Edens Expressway, North Pulaski Road, Skokie Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 16.9 miles from Lake Forest, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.28 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 33.8 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.6 miles (Illinois Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (North Western Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Lake Forest, IL to Cicero, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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