Oak Lawn is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 51,900 at the 2010 census. The city is located 40 miles south of the Loop, the central business district of Chicago. Oak Lawn is well-known for its art collection and its sports teams, the “Aggies”.
How far is Oak Lawn from Sycamore Speedway, and what is the drive like? Is it worth traveling all the way from Illinois State Road 32 to the Chicago Loop to see a football game? Let’s take a look.
By Car
If you’re driving to Oak Lawn from the south, you’ll first encounter the town of Cicero. According to the US Census Bureau, the average commute to work in Cicero was 18.6 minutes in 2016. After exiting the Cicero on I-55, you’ll be on the William Russell Road, which will take you directly to Oak Lawn. If you’re coming from the north, you’ll encounter the town of Lemont before reaching the suburb of Oak Lawn. On average, it takes drivers 25 minutes to get to work in Lemont.
By Air
Oak Lawn’s closest airport is Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The airport is approximately 35 miles from the downtown area of the city. Therefore, it’s an option for those traveling by air. If you have a layover in O’Hare, you can take a car service directly to your hotel in Oak Lawn.
By Train
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 701 handles public transportation for Oak Lawn. The union runs the city’s bus service and the North Side Trolley, which operates from O’Hare Airport to the South Side. There are trolley stops along the way, but if you’re not driving a car, it’s not very convenient to take the train to Oak Lawn. The one-way street system and lack of parking spaces along the bus routes makes it difficult for anyone other than car owners to use public transportation. Luckily, there is an Amtrak train stop in Lemont, right next to the airport. You can take the train to the city center of Chicago, where you can connect to buses and taxis to reach your final destination in Oak Lawn.
Distance From Sycamore Speedway
If you live in or around Sycamore, the nearest sports and entertainment complex is Road America. The iaNEXT Motorpark is also located in the city and is the home of the SEMA auto show and the Global RallyCross Championship. Road America and the Motorpark are within walking distance of one another. The National Track and Field Hall of Fame and the Jimmy John’s Racing Museum are also located in Sycamore.
Distance To Downtown Chicago
Oak Lawn is a suburb of Chicago, so it’s not far from the city. The downtown area of Chicago is easily accessible via the Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstate 88/90) or via the Chicago Skyway. Additionally, the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90) connects to the downtown, enabling drivers to travel between the two areas via the Skyway or the Jack Benny Highway (Interstate 88). Traveling to downtown Chicago from Oak Lawn is easy and straightforward.
Best Time To Visit
The best time of year to visit Oak Lawn is in the summer. However, even in the summer, the temperature can take a sharp turn, so make sure you bring lots of warm clothing. Spring and autumn aren’t bad times to visit, either, as long as you are prepared for bad weather. Winter is also a possibility, especially in Southern Illinois, where a lot of snowfall occurs. When traveling to Oak Lawn in the winter, be sure to bundle up and bring your parka. If you are staying overnight, make sure you bring enough clothing for a few days. You never know what kind of weather you’ll encounter on your trip to and from Oak Lawn.
The worst time to visit is just before the summer. The air is already hot and stuffy, and the only place you’ll want to be is inside your air-conditioned car. Coming from the south, you’ll be entering the city during the hottest time of the year. If you’re going to be there overnight, you’ll need daytime hours to get around without overheating. The best time to visit is during the week, as weekends in the summer are very busy due to people enjoying the parks and pools that are open during the week. If you’re visiting during the week, you’ll have lots of options for restaurants, museums, and other places to spend your time. Driving in the traffic on a Sunday afternoon is not something to look forward to. Even worse, if you’re visiting from out of town, you’ll have to deal with traffic in the city itself, adding to your aggravation. Weekdays in the summer are usually good, except maybe for the occasional Sunday, when there may be unusual traffic jams due to people out enjoying the weather. Weekends in the summer are very busy, so try to avoid them if you can. If you are planning on traveling during the summer, either stay in a hotel in the city or drive out to one of the nicer, quieter suburbs. The traffic jams are unavoidable, but at least they aren’t as bad as they could be.
Overall Review
Overall, the trip to and from Oak Lawn is pretty straightforward. The biggest issue some people have is that there isn’t a lot to do in the city. There are certainly some cultural attractions, such as the Morton Salt Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, but there isn’t much in the way of nightlife. The best thing for those who aren’t into sports is that there is a movie theater in the city. When the movie theater came to Oak Lawn, it was something of a big deal, as it meant there was something more than one entertainment option for the residents. Finally, a restaurant opened up in Oak Lawn named after the movie director, David Lynch. Named after his movie, “Lost Highway”, it was fitting that a restaurant opened up in the city named after him. Not only does Lynch direct movies, he also cooks and writes cookbooks. One of the menu items is called “the blue ribbon burger” and it’s made of blue ribbon beef.