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Trip from Evanston, IL to North Barrington, 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

50m

Distance

29.5 mi

47 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m

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

suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown North Barrington, IL, IL

North Barrington, IL

NIKOLAI FOMIN

Trip Overview

Evanston, IL to North Barrington, IL is 29.5 miles and takes about 50m via East Rand Road, Golf Road, and Milwaukee Avenue, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two Midwest locales. It primarily uses surface roads, making it a straightforward drive. Given its short distance, it's ideal for a quick excursion without needing an overnight stay, allowing for a flexible schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Rand Road 8.9 mi 12m
Golf Road 6.7 mi 12m
Milwaukee Avenue 4.5 mi 7m
Palatine Road 3.8 mi 6m
IL 59 1.3 mi 1m
State Route 22 1.1 mi 1m
Emerson Street 1 mi 2m
Asbury Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: East Rand Road — 8.9 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and North Barrington, 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 Emerson Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · Emerson Street
6

Continue on Golf Road

6.7 mi · 12 min · Golf Road
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto IL 21

0.2 mi · 19 sec · North Milwaukee Avenue
8

Continue on IL 21

4.5 mi · 7 min · Milwaukee Avenue
Use the left lane.
9

Turn left onto Old Palatine Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Old Palatine Road
Use the left lane.
10

Continue on West Palatine Road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · West Palatine Road
11

Take the ramp

359 ft · 9 sec
Toward Palatine Road
12

Merge onto Palatine Road

3.8 mi · 6 min · Palatine Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn right onto US 12

8.9 mi · 12 min · East Rand Road
Use the right lane.
14

Turn left onto IL 22

0.4 mi · 53 sec · West Main Street
Use the left lane.
15

Continue on IL 22

1.1 mi · 1 min · State Route 22
16

Turn right onto IL 59

1.3 mi · 1 min · IL 59
17

Turn right onto Eton Drive

0.2 mi · 56 sec · Eton Drive
Use the right lane.
18

Turn right onto Woodland Drive

60 ft · 2 sec · Woodland Drive
19

Arrive at destination

Woodland Drive

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.8 — 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

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Dempster Street

At end of road, turn left onto Dempster Street

Navigation decision point

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

Turn right onto Asbury Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
5
13.2 mi into trip | ~24m in | Old Palatine Road

Turn left onto Old Palatine Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
13.8 mi into trip | ~26m in | Palatine Road

Merge onto Palatine Road

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.57 one way

$9.15 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $5.02 $10.03
premium $4.93 $5.72 $11.45
diesel $5.60 $6.50 $13.01

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 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 8.9 0 $3.10 $1.42
Efficient EV 7.4 0 $2.58 $1.18
EV Truck/SUV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89

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 Sep 3, 2026

Origin

Evanston, IL

Morning in Evanston on Friday

Local time

6:47 AM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Barrington, IL

Morning in North Barrington on Friday

Local time

6:47 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

17 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

50m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

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

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is mostly surface roads, with only about 8% highway share. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 8.9 miles on East Rand Road before transitioning to other surface streets. Expect a more suburban feel with traffic lights and local intersections rather than high-speed cruising. The transition from any brief highway portions to surface roads will be noticeable fairly quickly.

Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on East Rand Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 29.5 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 (Dempster Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

879 ft 604 ft

Total Climb

305 ft

Total Descent

127 ft

Highest Point

879 ft

~25.3 mi in

Elevation Range

276 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 North Barrington, IL

Full guide →

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 50m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

50m 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 8.9 miles on East Rand Road. 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 North Barrington, 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 (Dempster Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Asbury 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 North Barrington, 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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