Origin
Markham, IL
Night in Markham on Thursday
Local time
9:12 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Markham, IL to Forest Lake, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
54.9 mi
88 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Markham, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Forest Lake, IL
DMN Atölye
Trip Overview
The drive from Markham, IL to Forest Lake, IL covers 54.9 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Tri-State Tollway, I 290, IL 53 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.9 miles on Tri-State Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.58 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 54.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Markham, IL to Forest Lake, IL covers 54.9 miles and takes about 1h 15m, 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.
Tri-State Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 22.9 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 2.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.9 miles you will encounter 15 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 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.1 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
2.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Exit 8
Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
6
24.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
25.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Take the exit onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 290 West, I 294 North, I 290 East: Rockford, Milwaukee, Chicago
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 31
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North, I 290 East: Roc...
7
25.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 294 / Tri-State Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294 / Tri-State Tollway toward I 290 West, I 294 North: Rockford, Milwaukee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 31
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North: Rockford, Milwa...
6
40.7 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Markham, IL and Forest Lake, IL, road signs point toward Milwaukee, Chicago and Saint Charles Road West.
Milwaukee
25.3 mi in
|
~33m
|
via I 294
Chicago
25.3 mi in
|
~33m
|
via I 294
Saint Charles Road West
27 mi in
|
~36m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 22.9 mi | 28m |
| I 290 | 13.4 mi | 17m |
| IL 53 | 8.9 mi | 11m |
| Quentin Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Kedzie Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| North Rand Road | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Lake Cook Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West 147th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 22.9 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Markham, IL and Forest Lake, IL.
1
Start on 163rd Street
64 ft
·
10 sec
·
163rd Street
2
Turn left onto Kedzie Avenue
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Kedzie Avenue
3
Turn right onto IL 83
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
West 147th Street
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn left
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8
Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 294
21 mi
·
25 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto I 294
321 ft
·
7 sec
·
Tri-State Tollway
Exit 31
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North, I 290 East: Rockford, Milwaukee, Chicago
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Exit 31
Toward I 290 West, I 294 North: Rockford, Milwaukee
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 290 West: Rockford
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward Saint Charles Road West
11
Merge onto I 290
13 mi
·
17 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
8.9 mi
·
11 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on Lake Cook Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Cook Road
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on US 12
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Rand Road
Use the right lane.
15
Turn right onto V62
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Quentin Road
Use the right lane.
16
Turn right onto West Highland Drive
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
West Highland Drive
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto North Field Road
281 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Field Road
18
Arrive at destination
North Field Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.4 mi from Markham, IL · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.4 miles from Markham, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Forest Lake, IL
The final approach into Forest Lake, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.58 one way
$17.17 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.42 | $18.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.57 | $21.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.12 | $24.24 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.37
Tri-state Tollway
(22.9 mi)
$1.37
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$1
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.76 | $2.64 |
| Efficient EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22 | 0 | $7.69 | $3.51 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Forest Lake, IL
Night in Forest Lake on Thursday
Local time
9:12 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
69°F
Elmhurst, IL
27 mi in
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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 15m 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 Markham, IL to Forest Lake, IL covers 54.9 miles and takes about 1h 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tri-State Tollway, I 290, IL 53. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.4 miles from Markham, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.58 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 54.9 miles you will encounter 15 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 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.1 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (I 294 / Tri-State Tollway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Markham, IL and Forest Lake, IL, road signs point toward Milwaukee, Chicago and Saint Charles Road West.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Forest Lake, IL
More trips to Forest Lake, IL
Explore more options from Markham, IL or browse trips ending in Forest Lake, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.
Explore maps for Markham, IL or Forest Lake, IL on MapSof.net.