Chicago to Madison distance
Chicago and Madison are 123 miles (198 km) apart in a straight line and 152 miles (244 km) apart by road: about 3 hr 10 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-90 and I-39. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 152 mi (244 km)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 10 min
- Straight line
- 123 mi (198 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 123 mi (198 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 152 mi (244 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 10 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +23% 1.23 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 49 mph (78 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 314° (northwest) leaving Chicago toward Madison |
| Midpoint | 42.4649° N, 88.5171° W in Alden (Illinois) |
| Halfway by road | Near Timberlane (Illinois) 75.8 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Chicago: 588 ft (179 m) · Madison: 875 ft (267 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Chicago: 2,731,585 · Madison: 286,233 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Chicago to Madison by road
The fastest driving route is 152 miles (244 km) long and takes about 3 hr 10 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-90 (90.4 mi) and I-39 (17.8 mi).
It goes through 2 states: Illinois (95.2 mi) and Wisconsin (56.5 mi). That’s an average of 49 mph (78 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3 hr 30 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Chicago and Madison are 123 miles (198 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 23% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 123. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 13th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Chicago, Madison lies to the northwest (bearing 314°), and from Madison, Chicago lies to the southeast.
Halfway between Chicago and Madison
Halfway along the straight line, 61.5 miles (99.0 km) from each city, is the point 42.4649° N, 88.5171° W. It falls in Alden (Illinois, pop. 48).
By road, the halfway point is 75.8 miles (122 km) from each city, near Timberlane (Illinois, pop. 908), 7.0 mi away. The two midpoints are 25.8 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Chicago and Madison share the same time all year: both are on Central Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Chicago sits at 588 ft (179 m) and Madison at 875 ft (267 m), 287 ft (87 m) higher.
Chicago has 2.7 million people and Madison 286,233 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Chicago to Madison?
123 miles (198 km) in a straight line and 152 miles (244 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-90 and I-39).
How long is the drive from Chicago to Madison?
About 3 hr 10 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 30 min.
Where is the halfway point between Chicago and Madison?
In a straight line, in Alden (Illinois). By road, 75.8 mi from each city, near Timberlane (Illinois).
Are Chicago and Madison in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Central Time all year.
Which city is higher, Chicago or Madison?
Madison, at 875 ft (267 m); Chicago sits at 588 ft (179 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
More distances from Chicago
All distances- Chicago to Grand Rapids 127 mi straight line · 176 mi by road · 3 hr 25 min
- Chicago to Dallas 802 mi straight line · 967 mi by road · 17 hr 5 min
- Boston to Chicago 852 mi straight line · 991 mi by road · 18 hr 45 min
- Chicago to Denver 919 mi straight line · 1,005 mi by road · 17 hr 50 min
- Chicago to Toronto 438 mi straight line · 512 mi by road · 9 hr 35 min
- New York to Chicago 714 mi straight line · 790 mi by road · 14 hr 50 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology