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Trip from Lincolnshire, 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

46m

Distance

32.3 mi

52 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m

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

Downtown Lincolnshire, IL, IL

Lincolnshire, IL

Mike Bird

Downtown chicago-il

Chicago, IL

Otoniel Alvarado

Trip Overview

Lincolnshire, IL to Chicago, IL is 32.3 miles and takes about 46m via Edens Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive entirely within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest. Expect a quick commute, making it ideal for a day trip or a simple transfer. The route is primarily on well-maintained expressways, so you won't encounter many unexpected detours or slow-downs. It's a practical option for getting from the northern suburbs directly into the heart of Chicago.

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 46m. Total distance: 32.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This route is heavily influenced by highway driving, with 70% of the journey taking place on expressways like the Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 13.7 miles on the Edens Expressway, offering a consistent pace. The character is predominantly that of a busy urban artery, designed for efficient travel rather than scenic exploration. As you approach Chicago, expect the intensity of traffic to increase, reflecting the transition into a major metropolitan area. This is a drive built for speed and directness.

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.
Edens Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edens Expressway and Kennedy Expressway. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in near Deerfield 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 32.3 miles you will encounter 11 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 2.3 miles (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

4
2.3 mi into trip | ~5m in | Deerfield Road

Turn left onto Deerfield Road

Navigation decision point

4
2.6 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago

Navigation decision point

Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
7
3.7 mi into trip | ~7m in | I 94 / Edens Spur

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
7
31.3 mi into trip | ~43m 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
4
31.8 mi into trip | ~44m in | South Halsted Street

Turn left onto South Halsted Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Expressway 13.7 mi 17m
Kennedy Expressway 8.1 mi 11m
Edens Spur 4.8 mi 5m
Riverwoods Road 2.1 mi 4m
Dan Ryan Expressway 0.9 mi 1m
Tri-State Tollway 0.8 mi <1m
Deerfield Road 0.3 mi <1m
West Cermak Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Edens Expressway — 13.7 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lincolnshire, IL and Chicago, IL.

1

Start on Londonderry Lane

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Londonderry Lane
2

Turn right onto Riverwoods Road

2.1 mi · 4 min · Riverwoods Road
3

Continue on Sanders Road

441 ft · 18 sec · Sanders Road
4

Turn left onto Deerfield Road

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Deerfield Road
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
6

Merge onto I 94

0.8 mi · 53 sec · Tri-State Tollway
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94

4.8 mi · 5 min · Edens Spur
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago Use the slight left lane.
8

Continue on I 94; US 41

14 mi · 17 min · Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on I 90; I 94

8.1 mi · 11 min · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10

Continue on I 90; I 94

0.9 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

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.2 mi from Lincolnshire, IL · 22m into the drive

suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Evanston, IL

16 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.

Popular next leg

Evanston, IL to Chicago, IL

14.4 mi · 28m

Pacing Suggestions

Cicero, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 32 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Glenview, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.2 miles from Lincolnshire, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Chicago, IL

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Chicago, IL if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.05 one way

$10.10 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.54 $11.09
premium $4.89 $6.22 $12.43
diesel $5.61 $7.13 $14.26

Estimated Tolls: $0.05

Tri-state Tollway (0.8 mi) $0.05

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$0

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.7 0 $3.39 $1.55
Efficient EV 8.1 0 $2.83 $1.29
EV Truck/SUV 12.9 0 $4.52 $2.07

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Lincolnshire, IL

Evening in Lincolnshire on Friday

Local time

8:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Chicago, IL

Evening in Chicago on Friday

Local time

8:07 PM

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

19 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

46m 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 Lincolnshire, IL to Chicago, IL covers 32.3 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Edens Expressway, Kennedy Expressway, Edens Spur. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.2 miles from Lincolnshire, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.05 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 32.3 miles you will encounter 11 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 2.3 miles (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Lincolnshire, IL to Chicago, 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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Explore more options from Lincolnshire, IL or browse trips ending in Chicago, IL.

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