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Trip from Elmwood Park, IL to Evanston, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

28m

Distance

14.8 mi

24 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 14.8-mile drive from Elmwood Park, IL to Evanston, IL is easily manageable in just 28 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll navigate primarily via West Howard Street and North Central Avenue, with a brief 19% segment on the Edens Expressway. Budget around $2 for fuel for this short hop within the Midwest region. The route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, offering a direct connection between these Illinois communities without requiring an overnight stay. Its brevity means you can easily fit it into a busy schedule, allowing for flexibility in your day.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West Howard Street 3 mi 5m
Edens Expressway 2.8 mi 3m
North Central Avenue 2.5 mi 5m
Asbury Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
West Fullerton Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
West Grand Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
West Montrose Avenue 1 mi 2m
North Cicero Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: West Howard Street — 3 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elmwood Park, IL and Evanston, IL.

1

Start on this road

186 ft · 15 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto West Belden Avenue

175 ft · 13 sec · West Belden Avenue
3

Turn left onto North 73rd Avenue

0.1 mi · 34 sec · North 73rd Avenue
4

Turn left onto West Fullerton Avenue

143 ft · 6 sec · West Fullerton Avenue
5

Turn right onto 73rd Avenue

361 ft · 14 sec · 73rd Avenue
6

Turn right onto West Grand Avenue

1.0 mi · 1 min · West Grand Avenue
7

Keep slight left at fork onto West Grand Avenue

238 ft · 8 sec · West Grand Avenue
8

Continue on West Fullerton Avenue

1.2 mi · 2 min · West Fullerton Avenue
9

Turn left onto North Central Avenue

2.5 mi · 5 min · North Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
10

Turn right onto West Montrose Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Montrose Avenue
11

Turn left onto IL 50

0.3 mi · 29 sec · North Cicero Avenue
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue

449 ft · 23 sec · West Wilson Avenue
Use the right lane.
13

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 94 West
14

Merge onto I 94

2.8 mi · 3 min · Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Exit 39B Toward Touhy Avenue East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

At end of road, turn left onto IL 50

0.4 mi · 43 sec · North Cicero Avenue
17

Continue on IL 50

0.3 mi · 28 sec · Skokie Boulevard
18

Turn right onto West Howard Street

3.0 mi · 5 min · West Howard Street
19

Turn left onto Asbury Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
20

Turn right onto Dempster Street

213 ft · 9 sec · Dempster Street
21

Turn uturn

213 ft · 17 sec
22

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.5 and 14.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
2.5 mi into trip | ~5m in | North Central Avenue

Turn left onto North Central Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
6.1 mi into trip | ~13m in | IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue

Turn left onto IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
6.3 mi into trip | ~13m in | West Wilson Avenue

Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
9.4 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward Touhy Avenue East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 39B Toward Touhy Avenue East
7
14.8 mi into trip | ~27m in

Turn uturn

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.31 one way

$4.63 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $2.54 $5.08
premium $4.89 $2.85 $5.70
diesel $5.61 $3.27 $6.54

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.4 0 $1.55 $0.71
Efficient EV 3.7 0 $1.30 $0.59
EV Truck/SUV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.95

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Elmwood Park, IL

Morning in Elmwood Park on Sunday

Local time

6:31 AM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Partly Sunny

WNW 20 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:53PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:53PM CDT until April 20 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Evanston, IL

Morning in Evanston on Sunday

Local time

6:31 AM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Partly Sunny

W 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:53PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:53PM CDT until April 20 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

1 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

28m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive for most of this 14.8-mile journey. While 19% of the route involves highway travel, the majority of your time will be spent on local roads like West Howard Street and North Central Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3 miles on West Howard Street. This profile suggests a drive that requires attention to turns and local traffic patterns rather than sustained high-speed cruising. The character of the road will likely shift from more urban or suburban streets to potentially slightly more open stretches before returning to local conditions as you approach Evanston.

Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3 mi on West Howard Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.5 miles in near North Central Avenue.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 14.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.5 miles (North Central Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (West Wilson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Elmwood Park, IL to Evanston, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue East along the way.

Touhy Avenue East

9.4 mi in | ~17m

About the Cities

Starting in Elmwood Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.

Arriving in Evanston, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1836

Evanston is a city in the North Shore region of Illinois along the shores of Lake Michigan. Evanston has many identities: college town, dining destination, cultural center and gateway to the wealthy North Shore, although the city itself is anything but homogeneous in regards to economic status, culture and race. Evanston is named after John Evans, one of the founders of Northwestern University, which ranks among the most prestigious universities in the United States.

Top landmarks

  • • Grosse Point Light — lighthouse in Illinois, United States
  • • Shakespeare Garden — garden on the campus of Northwestern University
  • • Frederick B. Carter, Jr. House — historic house in Illinois, United States

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 14.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3 miles on West Howard Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Evanston, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 2.5 miles (North Central Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles (IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (West Wilson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Evanston, IL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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