Evacuation Guide

Chicago, Illinois Evacuation Routes

Plan your escape with optimized routes and safe zones

Threat Assessment

Extreme Cold

Polar vortex events can bring temperatures below -20F with wind chill to -50F. January 2019 event set records. Life-threatening without shelter. Pipes freeze, transportation halts.

Severe Weather

Frequent severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding. Lake effect intensifies storms. Peak season April-August.

Tornado

Northern Illinois is in tornado alley. August 1990 Plainfield F5 tornado killed 29. Suburbs more exposed than downtown due to lake protection.

Flood

Flash flooding from overwhelmed storm sewers and river flooding. Deep Tunnel helps but extreme rain events can exceed capacity. Basement flooding widespread.

Evacuation Routes

I-90 West (Jane Addams Tollway)

primary

Primary western evacuation via I-90 through the northwest suburbs toward Rockford and Wisconsin. Major tollway with good infrastructure.

92 miles to Rockford1.5 hours (normal), 4-6 hours (evacuation)

Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) is Chicago's worst bottleneck

Tollway - carry I-PASS or cash for tolls

Extreme Cold

Civil Unrest

Industrial Accident

I-94 South (Dan Ryan/Bishop Ford)

secondary

Southern evacuation via I-94 through the south suburbs toward Indiana. Access to I-65 South toward Indianapolis.

85 miles to Lafayette, IN1.5 hours (normal), 4-6 hours (evacuation)

Dan Ryan is one of the busiest expressways in the US

Gary, IN area has limited safe services

Flood

Tornado

Power Grid Failure

I-55 South (Stevenson) to Springfield

secondary

Southwestern evacuation via I-55 to the state capital. Well-maintained interstate with multiple service stops.

200 miles to Springfield3.5 hours (normal), 6-8 hours (evacuation)

Long distance - ensure full tank and supplies

Open farmland creates wind tunnel effects in winter

Extreme Cold

Flood

Urban Emergency

I-290 West (Eisenhower) to Western Suburbs

tertiary

Western suburban evacuation via I-290. Quick access to DuPage County and western communities.

35 miles to Naperville45 min (normal), 2-3 hours (evacuation)

Eisenhower is notoriously congested even in normal conditions

Circle Interchange (I-290/I-90/94) is major bottleneck

Lakefront Emergency

Chemical Spill

Civil Unrest

Lakefront Trail South

foot

On-foot evacuation via the Lakefront Trail heading south from downtown. Paved path along Lake Michigan avoids street congestion.

15 miles to Jackson Park5-6 hours on foot, 2 hours by bike

Lakefront extremely dangerous during extreme cold or high winds

Wind chill along lake can be life-threatening in winter

Vehicle Unavailable

Road Blockage

Grid Down

Interactive Map

Loading map...

Open in Google Maps

Safe Zones & Rally Points

McCormick Place (Emergency Shelter)

shelter • Capacity: 15,000

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

hospital • Capacity: 894

Rush University Medical Center

hospital • Capacity: 664

University of Chicago Medical Center

hospital • Capacity: 596

Lurie Children's Hospital

hospital • Capacity: 364

Chicago Fire Station 13 (Chinatown)

fire station

Grant Park Rally Point

rally point

Soldier Field Parking Area

rally point

Navy Pier

rally point

Humboldt Park

rally point

O'Hare International Airport (Emergency Staging)

resource

Greater Chicago Food Depository

resource

United Center

shelter • Capacity: 20,000

Washington Park

rally point

Get Your Personalized Escape Plan

Generate a complete AI-powered evacuation plan with gear recommendations, family coordination, and step-by-step instructions.

Generate My Plan