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Trip from Evanston, IL to Mundelein, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

41m

Distance

26.7 mi

43 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great 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 38m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

Mundelein, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to Mundelein, IL covers 26.7 miles and takes about 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Edens Spur, Edens Expressway, East US Highway 45 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.3 miles on Edens Spur. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.14 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Spur 5.3 mi 6m
Edens Expressway 4 mi 5m
East US Highway 45 3.9 mi 6m
Tri-State Tollway 2.6 mi 2m
South Lake Street 2.1 mi 3m
Half Day Road 2 mi 3m
Central Street 1.5 mi 2m
Skokie Boulevard 1.2 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Edens Spur — 5.3 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Mundelein, 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 right at fork onto I 94

5.3 mi · 6 min · Edens Spur
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 94

2.6 mi · 2 min · Tri-State Tollway
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Exit 21 Toward IL 22: Half Day Road Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn left onto IL 22

2.0 mi · 3 min · Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
17

Turn right onto Olde Half Day Road

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Olde Half Day Road
Use the right lane.
18

Continue on US 45

3.9 mi · 6 min · East US Highway 45
Use the left lane.
19

Turn right onto US 45

2.1 mi · 3 min · South Lake Street
Use the left lane.
20

Arrive at destination

US 45

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.3 — 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.
7
10.1 mi into trip | ~17m in | I 94 / Edens Spur

Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 West: Milwaukee

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
7
18 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward IL 22: Half Day Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 21 Toward IL 22: Half Day Road
6
20.3 mi into trip | ~30m in | Olde Half Day Road

Turn right onto Olde Half Day Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.14 one way

$8.28 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $4.54 $9.08
premium $4.93 $5.18 $10.36
diesel $5.60 $5.89 $11.77

Estimated Tolls: $0.15

Tri-state Tollway (2.6 mi) $0.15

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$0

Total

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8 0 $2.80 $1.28
Efficient EV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07
EV Truck/SUV 10.7 0 $3.74 $1.71

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (67% 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 29, 2026

Origin

Evanston, IL

Late night in Evanston on Friday

Local time

2:46 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Partly Cloudy

SSW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:55PM CDT until August 30 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:36PM CDT until August 30 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Mundelein, IL

Late night in Mundelein on Friday

Local time

2:46 AM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Partly Cloudy

SSW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:55PM CDT until August 30 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 8:36PM CDT until August 30 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

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

4 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

41m 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?

26.7 mi in 41m — 31% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Edens Spur.

31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.3 mi on Edens Spur.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 17 decision points packed into just 26.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

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 (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

736 ft 604 ft

Total Climb

167 ft

Total Descent

44 ft

Highest Point

736 ft

~26.7 mi in

Elevation Range

132 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 Mundelein, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1865

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 41m. Total distance: 26.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.3 miles on Edens Spur. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.15 in tolls one way, starting with Tri-state Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

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 Mundelein, 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 (I 94 / Edens Spur): 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 Mundelein, 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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