ISP said troopers responded to the crash on Interstate 355 southbound at the Des Plaines River in Lemont around 1:30 a.m.
A driver was heading northbound in the southbound lanes and hit another vehicle head-on, ISP said.
The wrong-way driver, a man from Morris, Illinois, died on the scene, police said. Their identity has not been released.
The driver of the other vehicle, a man from Lockport, Illinois, was taken to a local hospital in serious condition.
All lanes were shut down for several hours while authorities investigated.
Officials did not immediately provide further information about the crash.