Day 1: Chicago IL to Springfield IL

There are 202 miles between Chicago and Springfield.

You can drive from Chicago to Springfield in about 3 hours but it really depends on a few factors including traffic (leaving Chicago) and the weather. It took me about 7 hours both cause I stopped for lunch and to take some picture but mostly cause of the heavy rain.

Driving from Chicago to Springfield you pass from a number of pretty charming towns.

Excluding Chicago for obvious reasons the main attractions from Chicago to Springfield are a few classic iconic figures such as the Launching Pad in Wilmington and the Hot Dog Muffler Man in Atlanta. The small towns of Joliet and Pontiac are worth a stop.

It depends on the season. In summer you can drive from Springfield to Cuba with any car. In coldest months a mid size SUV is more practical cause the weather can get pretty nasty.

Yes you can. You just need a little bit of additional planning to find an EV charger. Before leaving for Springfield, make sure your EV is enough charged. The city of Chicago has 794 public charging station ports.
Here some EV charging station available in Chicago:
– Tesla Supercharger, 225 N Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL 60601 (At Radisson Hotel)
– EVgo Charging Station,3 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654 Phone: (877) 494-3833
– ChargePoint Charging Station, 545 N McClurg Ct, Chicago, IL 60611. Phone: (888) 758-4389