Origin
Prospect Heights, IL
Morning in Prospect Heights on Friday
Local time
6:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prospect Heights, IL to Chicago, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
25.8 mi
42 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 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Prospect Heights, IL
Mike Tyurin
Chicago, IL
Otoniel Alvarado
Trip Overview
Traveling from Prospect Heights to downtown Chicago is a straightforward 25.8-mile trip that typically takes about 41 minutes. Because this is a short journey within the Midwest, you can easily complete it as a simple day trip without needing any overnight stays. You should budget approximately $4 for fuel to cover the distance. Since the route involves no formal stops, it is best viewed as a direct commute rather than a leisurely road trip. This drive is a practical way to transition from the suburbs into the city, offering a quick change of scenery for your day.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 25.8 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 (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. With a highway share of 0%, you will spend your time navigating suburban streets and urban arterial roads. The lack of long, uninterrupted stretches means you will encounter frequent intersections and varying traffic signals along the way. Your hands will stay busy on the wheel as you maneuver through these local turns. It is a functional path that prioritizes reaching your destination over scenic highway cruising.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Kennedy Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.1 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
667 ft
576 ft
Total Climb
53 ft
Total Descent
133 ft
Highest Point
667 ft
Elevation Range
91 ft
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 early in the drive near IL 83 / North Elmhurst 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 25.8 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: near the start (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Turn right onto IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
10.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
13.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 East
5
13.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge onto I 94 / Edens Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
24.8 mi into trip
|
~37m 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Expressway | 8.1 mi | 11m |
| North Milwaukee Avenue | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| East Golf Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| North Caldwell Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Rand Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Rand Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Elmhurst Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Kennedy Expressway
— 8.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prospect Heights, IL and Chicago, IL.
1
Start on West Camp McDonald Road
217 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Camp McDonald Road
2
Turn right onto IL 83
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Elmhurst Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left onto US 12
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Rand Road
4
Continue on US 12
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Rand Road
5
Turn slight left onto IL 58
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
East Golf Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto IL 21
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Milwaukee Avenue
7
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto US 14
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Caldwell Avenue
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 94 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 94
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 90; I 94
8.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Continue on I 90; I 94
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dan Ryan Expressway
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 52C
Toward 18th Street
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn slight left onto South Union Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Union Avenue
15
Turn right onto South Canalport Avenue
505 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Canalport Avenue
16
Turn left onto South Halsted Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Halsted Street
17
Turn right onto West Cermak Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Cermak Road
18
Turn left
152 ft
·
11 sec
19
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.03 one way
$8.07 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.43 | $8.86 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.96 | $9.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.70 | $11.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 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 | 7.7 | 0 | $2.71 | $1.24 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
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 Friday
Local time
6:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Areas Of Fog
ENE 5 mph
0% chance
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
8 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 Prospect Heights, IL to Chicago, IL covers 25.8 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kennedy Expressway, North Milwaukee Avenue, East Golf Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.9 miles from Prospect Heights, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.03 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 25.8 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: near the start (IL 83 / North Elmhurst Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles (West Touhy Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Prospect Heights, IL to Chicago, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 576 ft to 667 ft elevation with about 53 ft of total climbing.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Elevation is sampled from USGS 3DEP. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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