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What the board decided
- On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the Illinois Tollway board voted 8-0 to raise tolls on January 1, 2027. Source: WTTW; Illinois Tollway.
- I-PASS car tolls rise by an average of about 45 cents, about 57%. At the O'Hare plazas, 75 cents becomes $1.20. It is the first passenger increase since 2012. Source: Daily Herald, Aug 19, 2026.
- After that, the rates rise with inflation every two years starting in 2029, without another board vote. Source: Capitol News Illinois, Aug 21, 2026.
- The 2025 transit law allowed a Tollway increase of up to 45 cents with future inflation increases, subject to a board vote. Source: Capitol News Illinois, Dec 16, 2025.
- Public comment: about 76% of online comments opposed the increase; about 79% of in-person comments at the hearings were in favor. Source: CBS Chicago, Aug 19, 2026.
- Under state law the governor appoints the Tollway's directors. Source: Illinois Tollway board; Capitol News Illinois.
What it costs a commuter
| Commute | One way today | Jan 1, 2027 | More per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet (I-80) → Schaumburg I-355 Veterans Memorial Tollway | $3.80 | $6.05 | +$1,125 |
| Naperville → the Loop I-88 Reagan Tollway + I-290 | $0.75 | $1.20 | +$225 |
| Aurora → Oak Brook I-88 Reagan Tollway | $1.50 | $2.40 | +$450 |
| Elgin → the Loop I-90 Jane Addams Tollway + Kennedy | $1.50 | $2.40 | +$450 |
| Gurnee → O'Hare I-94 / I-294 Tri-State Tollway | $0.75 | $1.20 | +$225 |
| Bolingbrook → Schaumburg I-355 Veterans Memorial Tollway | $1.90 | $3.00 | +$550 |
I-PASS, round trip, 250 workdays a year. Our arithmetic from the Illinois Tollway's own published rates, the same data as our Beat the Tolls game. Tollway toll calculator
Logan County has no toll roads. I-55 is free. But plenty of us drive north for family, work and O'Hare, and the same Springfield appointments and budgets reach every county.
And the gas tax, the same day
The state motor fuel tax is 48.3 cents a gallon. Its July 1, 2026 inflation increase was paused for six months by Public Act 104-0468 and takes effect January 1, 2027, the same day as the new tolls. Source: Illinois Department of Revenue. More on the taxes page.
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