Commuting from NW 'burbs to Rockford: Am I crazy?? (Chicago: college, to live in)

[jonny9096]

A little background: I'm originally from the Chicago suburbs, but after graduating college in '05 I moved away to start my career (first Detroit, now Columbus).

I potentially have the opportunity to move back to the area, except the job would be on the east side of Rockford.

For various personal reasons, I would prefer to live in the NW suburbs near I-90 (Elgin, West Dundee, etc). Does anyone have any insight on if that commute is reasonable or not, particularly in the winter? I would be fine with a 1 hour commute.

[Steve-o]

Id look into the Huntley/Crystal Lake/Algonquin area. Close access to 90, but nicer than Elgin/Dundee. Your commute would probably be 40 minutes or so in Spring/Summer/Fall, but well over an hour depending on wintry conditions.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by jonny9096

I potentially have the opportunity to move back to the area, except the job would be on the east side of Rockford.

For various personal reasons, I would prefer to live in the NW suburbs near I-90 (Elgin, West Dundee, etc). Does anyone have any insight on if that commute is reasonable or not, particularly in the winter? I would be fine with a 1 hour commute.

My advice has always been that it is easier to commute to fun than to commute to work.

That will be a tough commute is really bad weather. It is flat prairie and there is a total absence of snow fences in Illinois. You can have a snow truck plow the road and have 2-3# on the road in 30 minutes. You may be on the road for 2-4 hours EASILY during icy conditions.

Initially, we looked at Belvidere and planned to commute to Crystal Lake due to housing costs. Driving 80 miles each day was not a lifestyle I wanted.

[Suburban Mom of 2 Kids]

We live in North Barrington, and moved here primarily because my husband needed to commute to Rockford (west side). I work downtown, so North Barrington, was considered "reasonable" for the two of us. Neither one of us was willing to relocate to Rockford from the west loop.

He made the commute for 7 years...the toughest part was getting through the town of Barrington in the morning/evening....required some "creative" solutions to get around.

Total commute time was generally 1 1/4 hours to 1.5 hours per trip (keep in mind we are 30-40 minutes off the expressway).

You are headed against traffic both ways, which is to your benefit. Commute is relatively easy, and if you are headed to the east side of Rockford (rather than the west side), should be reasonable if you are considering a move to Elgin, West Dundee, etc. Just pick a location close to the expressway on both ends, and you will be just fine.

[pvande55]

I-90, the Jane Addams Tollway, is pretty well-maintained, so that is the road of choice. If you live close enough to a west-facing interchange, such as Arlington Heights Rd, it can be a decent commute. One problem with I-90 is lack of interchanges, especially where you can get on going west, and off going east. Check with the Tollway.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by pvande55

I-90, the Jane Addams Tollway, is pretty well-maintained, so that is the road of choice. If you live close enough to a west-facing interchange, such as Arlington Heights Rd, it can be a decent commute. One problem with I-90 is lack of interchanges, especially where you can get on going west, and off going east. Check with the Tollway.

What about the time it takes to drive down Arlington Hts. Rd, Barrington Rd., Rte 59,31,25 or Randall Rd. That can add 10-20 minutes easily if you are not adjacent to the interchange(and who would want to live that close to an interstate with all the truck/traffic noise anyway?)