Commute time: Chicago to Deerfield (purchase, construction, salary)

[brism]

Hello,

I have a question regarding the commute time it would take me to go from Chicago to Deerfield (around AM) and then from Deerfield to Chicago (around 5PM). I received a new job offer and I'm trying to determine if it makes sense in terms of both my commute time and related expenses. Here's the destination: Chicago (Belmont & Milwaukee) to Deerfield (Deerfield Rd. & Saunders Rd.--by 94 and Deerfield Rd., which is just a bit north of the intersecting of Edens Expy and Tri-State Tollway). My salary increase would be just shy of 11%, but I would have to purchase a car and give up my 50 minute Blue LIne train ride for the above scenerio. I'm asking because I've never driven in Illinois and haven't experienced how the traffic is. Thanks!

PS - I've explored Metra as an alternative to driving, but the estimated time both ways is about 1.5 hours. Too long.

[DonkeyTeeth]

You driving time on average won't be any faster than the Metra time you're rejecting as too long. You'll have a pretty long trip just to get to the highway from Belmont/Mwke, then you'll have to battle the bottleneck where the Kennedy/Edens split, then either take the construction-filled Edens north or continue on the Kennedy to O'Hare and pick up 294 North.

Not saying it couldn't be done if the 'deal is worth the drive,' but you'll need to enjoy being in your car a lot. If your employer offers any schedule flexibility, say allowing you to work 7:30 to 4 vs 8:30 to 5, you could actually shave some significant time off of your drive.