What Illinois Tollway Trips Will Cost in 2027

The Illinois Tollway increase takes effect January 1, 2027. The most common passenger I-PASS toll rises 45 cents, from $0.75 to $1.20, while commercial-vehicle tolls increase about 30% on average. The 45-cent change is not universal: the actual cost depends on the plazas crossed, payment method and vehicle class. A complete final plaza-by-plaza schedule was not available in the supplied evidence, so exact corridor totals must be verified before travel.

Choose a corridor and payment method, then enter a verified route total or calculate with the common I-PASS example.

The New Rates Begin January 1, 2027

The Illinois Tollway Board approved the rate update on August 19, 2026, by an 8-0 vote. Rates in effect during 2026 remain in place through December 31, 2026.

Item	Approved Detail
Board vote	August 19, 2026, 8-0
Effective date	January 1, 2027
Common passenger I-PASS toll	$0.75 in 2026; $1.20 in 2027
Increase in that example	$0.45, or 60%
Commercial-vehicle change	About 30% on average
Capital program	$26.5 billion covering 2027–2042
Later adjustments	Every two years beginning in 2029

This is the first Illinois Tollway passenger-vehicle rate increase since 2012. It is tied to Driving Connections, a $26.5 billion capital program scheduled to run from 2027 through 2042 and cover every Tollway corridor. The official Driving Connections page outlines the program, initial rate changes and later adjustments.

The approved systemwide update does not establish one price for every journey. Illinois Tollway charges are assessed at individual toll points. A trip’s total depends on the plazas crossed, payment category and vehicle classification. Commercial charges can also vary by time category.

The Common Passenger Toll Rises 60%

The best-supported passenger example is the system’s most common I-PASS toll:

Passenger I-PASS Example	2026	2027	Increase
Most common toll	$0.75	$1.20	$0.45

The percentage increase is:

($1.20 − $0.75) ÷ $0.75 = 60%

The 45-cent and 60% figures describe the same change. The first is the added dollar amount; the second measures that amount against the original 75-cent toll.

Neither figure applies automatically to every plaza. Passenger increases are generally reported to range from approximately 50% to 66%, depending on location, according to WBEZ’s post-vote rate report. Plazas starting at different prices can have different dollar and percentage changes.

Mileage alone also does not determine the cost. Two drives of similar length can cross different numbers of toll points or plazas with different charges. The useful budgeting unit is each plaza crossing, not each mile.

Payment Method Can Change the Charge

Available Tollway rate materials separate passenger charges into I-PASS, Pay By Plate and invoice categories. A route total calculated with I-PASS prices cannot be used unchanged for another payment category.

One reported passenger example shows the difference:

Elgin Passenger Example	Reported 2027 Charge
I-PASS	$1.20
Pay By Plate	$1.80
Invoice	$2.40

These amounts illustrate payment-method pricing at one plaza. They do not establish rates at other locations.

The available Tollway rate document is labeled “proposed,” and the supplied extract ends partway through the schedule with truncated or malformed rows. It shows how the rates are organized but should not be represented as a complete final 2027 schedule.

For that reason, no corridor total for I-90, I-88, I-294, I-355 or the listed I-55/I-57 segments can be calculated reliably from the supplied material alone. Use the final official schedule or the Trip Calculator linked from the Driving Connections page, and confirm that it displays 2027 rates rather than 2026 or proposal-era figures.

The Chicago Skyway must be priced separately. It is independently operated and is not covered by the Illinois Tollway Board’s 2027 decision. A drive using both systems requires two calculations.

A Two-Passage Workday Adds $225 Per Year in the Common Example

A recurring-trip estimate starts with the increase at each plaza:

Added cost = increase per plaza × passages per travel day × travel days

If a route has different increases at different plazas, calculate each separately and add the results.

Two Toll Passages Per Workday

Assume a commuter makes two total toll passages during the workday and each rises by exactly $0.45:

• $0.45 × 2 passages = $0.90 more per workday
• $0.90 × 250 workdays = $225 more per year
• $225 ÷ 12 = $18.75 per month on average

The 250-day assumption represents five travel days per week over 50 weeks. It excludes holidays, vacation, remote-work days, route changes and any plaza where the increase differs from 45 cents.

Four Toll Passages Per Workday

With four total passages per workday, each rising by $0.45:

• $0.45 × 4 passages = $1.80 more per workday
• $1.80 × 250 workdays = $450 more per year
• $450 ÷ 12 = $37.50 per month on average

Assumption	Added Daily Cost	Added Annual Cost	Monthly Average
Two passages, each up $0.45	$0.90	$225	$18.75
Four passages, each up $0.45	$1.80	$450	$37.50

Published annual estimates can differ because they count passages differently or assume different workweeks, vacation days, hybrid schedules and plaza increases. A usable estimate must state whether the passage count covers one direction or the complete round trip.

Exact Route Totals Require Every Toll Point

For an airport run, road trip or recurring commute, record each toll point separately:

Toll Point	2026 Rate	2027 Rate	Payment Method	Total Crossings
Plaza 1	—	—	—	—
Plaza 2	—	—	—	—
Plaza 3	—	—	—	—

Multiply each verified rate by the number of outbound and return crossings. Add the rows to produce separate 2026 and 2027 route totals, then subtract the former from the latter.

Before relying on the result, confirm:

1. Every Tollway road and toll point used by the route.
2. Whether the listed charge is for I-PASS, Pay By Plate or invoice billing.
3. The classification of the complete vehicle, including any trailer.
4. The number of one-way crossings during the relevant period.
5. That any Chicago Skyway charge has been calculated separately.

This plaza-based method is more dependable than multiplying mileage by an assumed statewide rate.

Commercial Tolls Rise About 30% on Average

Commercial-vehicle tolls are reported to increase about 30% on average beginning January 1, 2027. That does not mean every truck, bus, trailer combination, time category and plaza receives an identical 30% adjustment.

The proposed materials organize commercial vehicles into these classes:

• Small: Two axles with six tires, single-unit trucks or buses.
• Medium: Three or four axles, plus certain passenger vehicles with a one- or two-axle sidecar or trailer.
• Large: Five or more axles, plus passenger vehicles towing a trailer with three or more axles.

These are the classifications shown in the incomplete proposed document, not a substitute for checking the final rules. The same materials separate commercial prices by plaza, payment type, vehicle class and daytime or overnight category.

A fleet calculation therefore needs the toll point, axle and tire configuration, trailer axles, final published class, payment method, time category and number of crossings. Mixed fleets should be separated by vehicle class and recurring route rather than assigned one passenger-style estimate.

Trailer users should verify the classification of the complete combination. Under the proposed structure, adding a trailer can move a passenger vehicle into a medium or large commercial category.

Inflation Adjustments Start in 2029

The January 2027 increase is followed by inflation-linked adjustments every two years beginning in 2029.

WBEZ reports that these adjustments will track the Consumer Price Index and be capped at 8% for an individual adjustment. The cap is a ceiling, not a prediction that every update will be 8%.

Date	Rate Event
August 19, 2026	Board approved the update
December 31, 2026	Final day of 2026 rates
January 1, 2027	Passenger and commercial increases begin
2029	First scheduled inflation-linked adjustment
Every two years afterward	Further scheduled adjustments

Exact rates for 2029 and later are not available. Future inflation readings are unknown, and the supplied evidence does not establish all implementation and rounding details. Applying the 8% cap repeatedly would produce an unsupported projection.

For multiyear planning, use verified 2027 prices as the baseline and leave later adjustments unspecified until the Tollway publishes them.

The Increase Funds a $26.5 Billion Program

Driving Connections is scheduled to spend $26.5 billion from 2027 through 2042 across the Illinois Tollway system. The agency identifies infrastructure renewal, congestion-reduction work, interchange improvements, corridor modernization, smart infrastructure and regional partnerships among its project categories.

Corridors identified in the available evidence include I-88, I-90, I-355, the I-94/I-294/I-80 Tri-State corridor, Illinois Route 390 and I-490. Their inclusion does not mean every project starts in 2027 or that all corridors will be under construction simultaneously.

Tollway officials expected approximately $20.6 billion in net revenue to support the program, with bond proceeds funding the remainder, according to WTTW’s report on the approved plan.

The stated investment goals do not guarantee a particular time or financial saving for an individual driver. Results will depend on project selection, delivery, maintenance, construction effects and traffic patterns.

The Board Approved the Increase After 13 Hearings

The Tollway held 13 public hearings across the 12 counties it serves before the vote. Feedback differed sharply by channel.

CBS Chicago reported that 79% of comments at in-person hearings supported the plan, while 76% of online submissions opposed the increase in its coverage of the board vote.

Neither channel was a representative statewide poll. Participants chose whether and how to comment, and people attending hearings may have differed from those using the online form.

Supporters argued that long-term investment was needed to renew and modernize the network. Critics focused on affordability, the initial increase, later inflation adjustments and the review process. Those positions do not establish that every projected benefit or feared consequence will occur.

Reports published before August 19, 2026 may correctly describe the rate plan as a proposal. The board vote settled its status: the increase is approved and begins January 1, 2027. The remaining calculation is route-specific, and drivers should verify every toll point and payment category against the final official schedule.