In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Hillside
Skip Hillside unless you're visiting Al Capone's grave at Mount Carmel Cemetery. A 20-minute stop on a Western Suburbs road trip is enough.
Hillside is a small village in the Western Suburbs of Chicagoland, best known as the eastern terminus of Interstate 88 and the resting place of Al Capone. It has no major attractions beyond Mount Carmel Cemetery. Most travellers use it as a pass-through on the way to Oak Park, Naperville or Chicago.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $50–80 excl. bed · Mid $80–150 excl. bed · High $150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, Fire, Ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (diner) | $2–4 |
| Fast-food meal | $8–12 |
| Sit-down restaurant meal (per person) | $15–30 |
| Gas (per gallon) | $3.50–4.50 |
| Rideshare 5 miles | $15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ORD · O'Hare International Airport
- About 20 min by car via I-290; no direct public transport.
- MDW · Chicago Midway International Airport
- About 25 min by car via I-55 and I-290.
Typical fares
- ORD → Hillside (rideshare)
- about $30–40, 20 min (check)
- MDW → Hillside (rideshare)
- about $35–45, 25 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car is essential. Pace bus routes serve Roosevelt Road (IL-38) and Mannheim Road (US-12/US-45). No train station in Hillside.
See and do
Known for
- Mount Carmel Cemetery (Al Capone's grave)
- Interstate 88 eastern terminus
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Park | Car via I-290 east, about 10 min | 10 min |
| Naperville | Car via I-88 west, about 20 min | 20 min |
| Lisle | Car via I-88 west, about 15 min | 15 min |
| Downers Grove | Car via I-88 west, about 15 min | 15 min |
| Glen Ellyn | Car via I-88 west, about 10 min | 10 min |
| Lombard | Car via I-88 west, about 10 min | 10 min |
Sleep
- Hillside itself
- Limited options; most visitors stay in nearby Oak Park or Lombard.
- Oak Park
- 10 min east; more hotels, restaurants and Frank Lloyd Wright sights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much? | How much? |
| Where is the cemetery? | Where is the cemetery? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Mount Carmel Cemetery closes at dusk; check hours before visiting.
- No public transport from Chicago; you need a car or rideshare.
- I-290 and I-88 merge near Hillside; traffic can back up at rush hour.
Hillside is a safe suburban village. Standard precautions apply: lock your car, don't leave valuables visible.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hillside yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mount Carmel Cemetery (Al Capone's grave)
- Interstate 88 eastern terminus
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Hillside, revision 4653906 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4653906
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hillside
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, Fire, Ambulance911
English is universal; no phrasebook needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hillside). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.