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Trip from Evanston, IL to Gurnee, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

27.7 mi

45 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 36m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

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

Best Time
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suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Lake County, Illinois, United States

Gurnee, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Evanston, IL to Gurnee, IL is 27.7 miles and takes about 39m via South Skokie Highway/Edens Expressway/Skokie Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Midwest region, connecting two Illinois communities. It's a straightforward trip, primarily utilizing surface roads with a brief highway segment, making it an easy option for a quick local excursion or a necessary commute. Consider this route for its simplicity and minimal time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Skokie Highway 9.8 mi 12m
Edens Expressway 4 mi 5m
Skokie Highway 3.8 mi 4m
Skokie Valley Road 3.4 mi 3m
Central Street 1.5 mi 2m
Skokie Boulevard 1.2 mi 2m
Green Bay Road 0.9 mi 1m
Asbury Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: South Skokie Highway — 9.8 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

197 ft · 21 sec · this road
2

At end of road, turn left

139 ft · 15 sec
3

At end of road, turn left onto Dempster Street

213 ft · 11 sec · Dempster Street
4

Turn right onto Asbury Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · Asbury Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Turn left onto Green Bay Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Green Bay Road
6

Turn left onto Central Street

1.5 mi · 2 min · Central Street
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto Crawford Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Crawford Avenue
8

Turn left onto Wilmette Avenue

90 ft · 1 sec · Wilmette Avenue
9

Keep slight left at fork onto Glenview Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Glenview Road
10

Turn right onto US 41

1.2 mi · 2 min · Skokie Boulevard
11

Take the ramp onto US 41

0.2 mi · 30 sec · US 41
Toward I 94 West
12

Merge onto I 94; US 41

4.0 mi · 5 min · Edens Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto US 41

3.8 mi · 4 min · Skokie Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on US 41

3.4 mi · 3 min · Skokie Valley Road
15

Continue on US 41

9.8 mi · 12 min · South Skokie Highway
Use the left lane.
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue Use the slight right lane.
17

Keep slight left at fork

276 ft · 9 sec
Toward IL 132: Great America Use the left lane.
18

Turn slight left onto IL 132

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
19

Turn left onto North Greenleaf Street

92 ft · 3 sec · North Greenleaf Street
Use the left lane.
20

Arrive at destination

North Greenleaf Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 27.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in

At end of road, turn left

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Asbury Avenue

Turn right onto Asbury Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
6
10.1 mi into trip | ~17m in | US 41 / Skokie Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto US 41 / Skokie Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
27.1 mi into trip | ~38m in

Take the exit toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward IL 132: Grand Avenue, Grandville Avenue
8
27.3 mi into trip | ~38m in

Keep slight left at fork toward IL 132: Great America

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward IL 132: Great America

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.29 one way

$8.59 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $4.71 $9.42
premium $4.93 $5.37 $10.75
diesel $5.60 $6.11 $12.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.3 0 $2.91 $1.33
Efficient EV 6.9 0 $2.42 $1.11
EV Truck/SUV 11.1 0 $3.88 $1.77

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 Aug 31, 2026

Origin

Evanston, IL

Afternoon in Evanston on Saturday

Local time

4:01 PM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 10 mph 60% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Gurnee, IL

Afternoon in Gurnee on Saturday

Local time

4:01 PM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 10 mph 32% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 11:03PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

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

2 degrees cooler at arrival

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

Road read

39m 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?

This route is mostly surface roads, with only about 15% on the highway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 9.8 miles on South Skokie Highway before transitioning to other main roads. Expect a more urban feel with frequent exits and intersections for much of the drive, rather than extended periods of high-speed cruising.

Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.8 mi on South Skokie Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 early in the drive.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 27.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles (US 41 / Skokie Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

706 ft 604 ft

Total Climb

112 ft

Total Descent

49 ft

Highest Point

706 ft

~25.7 mi in

Elevation Range

101 ft

About the Cities

Starting 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

Arriving in Gurnee, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1928

Gurnee is a village in Illinois. It sits at the midpoint between Chicago and Milwaukee. It's best known as the home of the Six Flags Great America amusement park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago water park, the Gurnee Mills shopping mall, and a Great Wolf Lodge location. As such, Gurnee sees over 23 million visitors every year.

Top landmarks

  • • Goliath (Six Flags Great America) — wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois
  • • The Flash: Vertical Velocity — amusement ride in Six Flags Great America
  • • Shockwave — roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois

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 39m. Total distance: 27.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m 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 9.8 miles on South Skokie Highway. 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 Gurnee, 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: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles (US 41 / Skokie Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Gurnee, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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