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Illinois Tollway & Bridges Complete Guide

System: All-electronic open road tolling - I-PASS / E-ZPass + Pay Online / Pay By Plate; no cash accepted on the Tollway system. Two small border bridges (Fort Madison, St. Francisville) are cash-only exceptions, separate from both the Tollway and the Skyway
Coverage: 294 miles across five tollways in 12 Chicagoland counties + Chicago Skyway (private) + 2 cash-only border toll bridges (Iowa and Indiana borders)
Currency: US Dollar (USD)
Technology: I-PASS / E-ZPass RFID transponders, ANPR license plate cameras, open road tolling gantries on the Tollway; cash only at the two border bridges
Operators: Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (Illinois Tollway), Chicago Skyway Concession LLC (private, separate system), BNSF Railway (Fort Madison Toll Bridge), State of Illinois (St. Francisville Bridge)

Do I Need I-PASS for Illinois? 2026 Update

I-PASS is not legally required on the Tollway system - you can pay via license plate billing - but without one you pay exactly double the I-PASS rate. Illinois eliminated all cash toll collection on the mainline Tollway in 2021 and operates 100% electronic open road tolling there. There are no toll booths and no cash lanes anywhere on the Illinois Tollway system itself - but two small, separate border bridges (covered later on this page) are cash-only and do NOT accept I-PASS at all.

Key Reality: Without I-PASS on the Tollway, you pay "Pay Online" rates - exactly double. For a typical daily Chicago-area commute, this means $20-$40 extra per week in unnecessary costs. Passenger vehicle I-PASS rates have not increased since 2012, making Illinois one of the lowest per-mile toll systems in the nation ($0.07-$0.20/mile).

2026 Update: The Illinois Tollway Board approved a 2026 budget with no passenger vehicle toll increase for the year - passenger rates remain frozen at 2012 levels through at least mid-2026. However, Illinois Governor Pritzker signed a major transit funding bill in late 2025 that authorizes the Tollway Board to raise passenger tolls by $0.45 (to approximately $1.20 at key plazas) and commercial vehicle rates by 30%, effective June 1, 2026. On August 19, 2026, the Illinois Tollway Board officially and unanimously voted 8–0 to pass the Driving Connections capital program. The approved rate hikes will permanently take effect on January 1, 2027. So drivers should confirm current rates at illinoistollway before travel.

Illinois Toll Costs: Current Rates (2026)

Passenger Vehicle Rates - Key Plazas (Current as of Early 2026)

Tollway / Plaza	I-PASS Rate (Passenger)	Pay Online Rate (No I-PASS)	Tollway
Touhy Avenue	$0.95	$1.90	Tri-State (I-294/I-94)
I-90/O'Hare (to airport)	$0.75	$1.50	Jane Addams (I-90)
Belvidere / South Beloit	$0.95-$1.50	$1.90-$3.00	Jane Addams (I-90)
Waukegan (Tri-State north)	$1.40	$2.80	Tri-State (I-94/I-294)
Elgin (Jane Addams)	$0.75	$1.50	Jane Addams (I-90)
Typical ramp plaza	$0.40-$0.65	$0.80-$1.30	All tollways

Important - Pending Rate Increase: Following a unanimous 8–0 vote by the Illinois Tollway Board on August 19, 2026, a major toll rate increase has been officially approved to fund the state's new $26.5 billion, 15-year Driving Connections highway infrastructure program. Tolls will permanently increase by $0.45 at all mainline plazas on January 1, 2027. This bumps the standard $0.75 plaza toll to $1.20 for I-PASS users (and from $1.50 to $2.40 for tagless Pay-By-Plate users). Truck, trailer, and freight shipping rates will face an immediate 30% increase across the board on January 1, 2027. Starting in 2029, the Tollway system will automatically apply CPI-based inflation adjustments of up to 4% every two years to prevent future funding deficits.

Truck / Commercial Vehicle Rates (January 1, 2026)

Commercial vehicle rates increased annually on January 1, 2026 under the schedule approved by the Tollway Board in 2008. Rates vary by axle count and time of day (daytime 6 AM-10 PM vs. overnight 10 PM-6 AM). Key examples:

Vehicle Tier	I-PASS Daytime (per mainline plaza)	I-PASS Overnight	Pay Online Rate
Tier 1 (2-axle commercial)	Check official 2026 PDF at illinoistollway	Reduced overnight rate	Higher than I-PASS
Tier 4 (5+ axle trucks)	Up to $12.20+ per plaza (South Beloit)	Reduced	Up to $16.30 (Pay Online)

For full 2026 truck rate tables by plaza, download the official 2026 Truck/Trailer Rate PDF at illinoistollway.

To calculate toll costs for cars, trucks, motorcycles and all vehicle types across Illinois toll roads, use the TollGuru Illinois toll calculator:

Illinois Toll Calculator

Illinois Tollway System Overview

Tollway Name	Route	Corridor	Length
Tri-State Tollway	I-94 / I-294 / I-80	Indiana border south to Wisconsin border north via Chicago suburbs	~80 miles
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway	I-90	Chicago/O'Hare northwest to Wisconsin (Rockford)	~77 miles
Reagan Memorial Tollway	I-88	Chicago west to Iowa border (DeKalb, Aurora, Moline)	~104 miles
Veterans Memorial Tollway	I-355	North-south spine through DuPage and Will counties	~31 miles
Illinois Route 390	IL-390	Elgin-O'Hare connector (new direct I-90 to O'Hare access)	~7 miles
Chicago Skyway	I-90 (Chicago, separate private system)	Dan Ryan Expressway to Indiana Toll Road	7.8 miles

Border Toll Bridges (Not Part of the Tollway or Skyway System)

Separate from both the Illinois Tollway and the Chicago Skyway, Illinois has two small, historic, cash-only toll bridges at its state borders. Neither accepts I-PASS, E-ZPass, or any electronic payment.

Fort Madison Toll Bridge - Iowa Border: A double-decked swing-truss bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Niota, Illinois to Fort Madison, Iowa, carrying IL-9/IA-2 traffic on its upper deck and BNSF Railway rail traffic on its lower deck. Built in 1927, one of the last operating swing bridges for automobile traffic remaining over the Mississippi.

• Toll: $2.50, for 2-axle passenger vehicles
• Direction: Both directions
• Payment: Cashless (only credit or debit cards) - no I-PASS, E-ZPass
• Closed to semi-truck traffic
• Maintained by BNSF Railway despite carrying public road traffic

St. Francisville Bridge (Old Wabash Cannonball Railroad) - Indiana Border: A one-lane wooden-plank bridge over the Wabash River near St. Francisville in Lawrence County, Illinois - a former railroad bridge converted for road use. Privately owned and operated historically; the City of St. Francisville holds full operational control and maintenance responsibility

• Toll: $2.00, for 2-axle passenger vehicles
• Direction: Both directions
• Payment: Cash only, at a tollbooth in St. Francisville
• One-lane traffic - expect to wait if a vehicle is already crossing in the opposite direction

How to Pay Illinois Tolls

No cash is accepted anywhere on the Illinois Tollway system itself. The two border bridges above are the exception - cash only, no I-PASS.

1. I-PASS / E-ZPass (Recommended - 50% savings, Tollway only):

• I-PASS is Illinois's E-ZPass compatible transponder - works on all 20 E-ZPass network states
• Any E-ZPass transponder from another state also works in Illinois at I-PASS rates
• Minimum $40 prepaid balance required to open I-PASS account
• Open at getipass or at I-PASS Customer Service Centers
• Interoperable via Central US Hub: Illinois I-PASS accepted in Texas (TxTag network), Oklahoma, Kansas
• Motorcycle transponder toll is deeply discounted to $0.40 at the exact same plazas.

2. Pay Online / Pay By Plate (Tollway only):

• Cameras photograph your plate; invoice mailed with a $3 fee per toll if paying via invoice
• A tagless transaction remains unpaid past the 14-day grace window, it transitions into an official toll evasion notice. A $3.00 administrative fee is assessed per notice
• Pay By Plate service can be set up within 14 days of first travel - no account needed but higher rates apply
• Rental cars: add your rental's plate to your I-PASS account to avoid separate invoices at Pay Online rates
• Most rental companies charge daily admin fees ($3-15/day) for their own toll program - confirm before departing

3. Chicago Skyway (separate private system):

• Operated under a 99-year private concession - separate from the Illinois Tollway Authority
• Does not offer I-PASS discounts; rates are higher than equivalent Illinois Tollway plazas
• Different payment rules and billing system than the rest of the Illinois Tollway
• E-ZPass is accepted; 7-day grace period before administrative fees apply

4. Fort Madison Toll Bridge and St. Francisville Bridge (card and cash only):

• Accepts credit, debit, or contactless tap-to-pay options onl
• The St. Francisville span remains 100% cash-only.

Recent Changes (2026)

2026 Budget (approved December 2025):

• No passenger vehicle toll increase for 2026 budget year - rates remain at 2012 levels through mid-2026
• Annual commercial truck rate increase effective January 1, 2026 (ongoing per 2008 schedule)
• $1.79 billion total revenue projected; $1.26 billion capital program (largest in agency history)
• $374 million for systemwide roadway and bridge maintenance
• Key 2026 capital projects: Route 390 interchange improvements and direct O'Hare airport access; I-94/I-294/I-57 Tri-State interchange

Transit Funding Bill - Authorized Toll Increases (June 1, 2026):

• The toll increase does not take effect in 2026. Because of delayed legislative structures, the rate hikes are frozen for the remainder of the year and will officially take effect on 1 January 2027.
• Expected to generate up to $1 billion annually in additional toll revenue
• Analysts estimate a typical commuter would pay approximately $329 more per year
• Starting 2029, automatic CPI-based adjustments of up to 4% every two years are authorized
• On 19 August 2026, the Illinois Tollway Board officially and unanimously voted 8–0 to pass the Driving Connections capital program, permanently locking the upcoming 2027 rate hikes into state law - check illinoistollway for current status

Fort Madison Toll Bridge:

• The BNSF Railway completely restructured the toll format to a lower $2.50 rate collected in both directions, meaning a round trip now costs $5.00 instead of $4.00.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does E-ZPass from another state work in Illinois?

On the Tollway system, yes - any E-ZPass transponder from any of the 20 E-ZPass member states works in Illinois at the I-PASS rate. You do not need to get a separate Illinois I-PASS if you already have E-ZPass from another state. However, E-ZPass does NOT work at the Fort Madison Toll Bridge or the St. Francisville Bridge - both are (cards and cash-only), respectively, regardless of what transponder you carry.

What happens if I drive through without paying?

On the Tollway: Cameras photograph your license plate, and you have a strict 14-day grace period to log onto the official Pay By Plate portal and pay your toll online. If you do not pay within 14 days, the transaction drops into the violation system, and an official notice is mailed out adding a $3.00 administrative fee per notice. Unpaid violations can eventually result in vehicle registration renewal holds.

Is the Chicago Skyway part of the Illinois Tollway?

No. The Chicago Skyway is a privately operated 7.8-mile bridge/roadway under a 99-year concession lease. It has its own separate rate schedule, billing system, and does not offer I-PASS discounts. It connects the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago to the Indiana Toll Road at the Indiana border.

Are Fort Madison and St. Francisville part of the Illinois Tollway?

No, the Fort Madison Toll Bridge and the St. Francisville Bridge are not part of the Illinois Tollway system. They are independent border crossings operated completely outside of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) network.Because they are entirely separate entities, they do not share the same rules, payment systems, or technology as the rest of the state.

Illinois vs. Neighboring States (2026)

State	System	Tag	Notes
Illinois	294-mile all-electronic tollway system + 2 cash border bridges	I-PASS / E-ZPass	No cash on Tollway; lowest per-mile rate in Midwest; rate increase pending June 2026
Indiana	157-mile East-West Toll Road + bridges	E-ZPass + cash (transitioning to AET by 2027)	New law mandates all-electronic tolling by Dec 31, 2027
Kansas	Kansas Turnpike; distance-based cashless	K-TAG (I-PASS/E-ZPass compatible via Central hub)	Interoperable with Illinois I-PASS
Wisconsin	No toll roads	N/A	Entirely toll-free; shares I-90/I-94 corridor with Illinois
Iowa	No toll roads except one cash bridge	N/A	Fort Madison Toll Bridge is the only tolled crossing (shared with Illinois)

Useful Links & Resources

• US Toll Guide - All 37 toll states overview
• Illinois Toll Calculator - Calculate tolls for any Illinois Tollway route
• I-PASS / Illinois Tollway - Open account, manage transponder, pay invoices
• Illinois Tollway Official Toll Rates - 2026 rate PDF downloads for passenger and commercial vehicles
• Illinois Tollway Agency - Trip planner, plaza maps, construction updates
• Chicago Skyway - Official toll rates and payment information (separate private system)
• Indiana Toll Road - Connecting east from Chicago Skyway to Ohio
• I-PASS Customer Service: info@getipass.com | 2700 Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, IL 60515

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