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Trip from Evanston, IL to Palos Park, 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

56m

Distance

33.1 mi

53 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m

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 Cook County, Illinois, United States of America

Palos Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to Palos Park, IL covers 33.1 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Cicero Avenue, North Western Avenue, Southwest Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.5 miles on South Cicero Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.13 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Cicero Avenue 6.5 mi 10m
North Western Avenue 5.5 mi 11m
Southwest Highway 5.3 mi 8m
Stevenson Expressway 4.9 mi 6m
Kennedy Expressway 3.6 mi 5m
Asbury Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
Dan Ryan Expressway 1.3 mi 1m
West 93rd Street 1.2 mi 1m
Longest stretch: South Cicero Avenue — 6.5 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Palos Park, 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 · 14 sec · Dempster Street
4

Turn left onto Asbury Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
5

Continue on North Western Avenue

5.5 mi · 11 min · North Western Avenue
6

Turn left onto North Clybourn Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Clybourn Avenue
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto North Damen Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · North Damen Avenue
8

Turn left onto West Webster Avenue

139 ft · 2 sec · West Webster Avenue
9

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East
10

Merge onto I 90; I 94

3.6 mi · 5 min · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on I 90; I 94

1.3 mi · 1 min · Dan Ryan Expressway
12

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 53 Toward I 55: Saint Louis, DuSable Lake Shore Drive Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 53B Toward I 55 South: St Louis Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 55

4.9 mi · 6 min · Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 286 Toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Turn left onto IL 50

6.5 mi · 10 min · South Cicero Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17

Turn right onto West 93rd Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · West 93rd Street
Use the right lane.
18

Continue on Southwest Highway

5.3 mi · 8 min · Southwest Highway
Use the left lane.
19

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 29 sec
20

Turn slight right onto West 123rd Street

98 ft · 9 sec · West 123rd Street
21

Turn left onto South 86th Avenue

30 ft · 0 sec · South 86th Avenue
22

Arrive at destination

South 86th Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown chicago-il

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chicago, IL

17 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Chicago, IL to Palos Park, IL

19.9 mi · 32m

Pacing Suggestions

Evergreen Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Chicago, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.6 miles from Evanston, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.7 — 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 left onto Asbury Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
13.7 mi into trip | ~25m in

Take the exit toward I 55: Saint Louis, DuSable Lake Shore Drive

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 53 Toward I 55: Saint Louis, DuSable Lake Shore Dr...
8
14.3 mi into trip | ~26m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 55 South: St Louis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 53B Toward I 55 South: St Louis
7
19.7 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 286 Toward IL 50: Cicero Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.13 one way

$10.26 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $5.63 $11.25
premium $4.93 $6.42 $12.84
diesel $5.60 $7.30 $14.59

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 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 9.9 0 $3.48 $1.59
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.90 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.63 $2.12

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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

Morning in Evanston on Saturday

Local time

7:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Partly Cloudy

SSE 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 9:43AM CDT until August 30 at 4:36AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 9:43AM CDT until August 30 at 11:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Palos Park, IL

Morning in Palos Park on Saturday

Local time

7:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Partly Cloudy

SW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 9:43AM CDT until August 30 at 4:36AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 28 at 9:43AM CDT until August 30 at 11:00AM 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

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

56m 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?

33.1 mi in 56m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 29% 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: 6.5 mi on South Cicero Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 33.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.

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

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

689 ft 578 ft

Total Climb

152 ft

Total Descent

77 ft

Highest Point

689 ft

~33.1 mi in

Elevation Range

111 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 Palos Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

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 56m. Total distance: 33.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m 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 6.5 miles on South Cicero Avenue. 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 Palos Park, 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 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Palos Park, 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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Return Trip

Palos Park, IL to Evanston, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

32.1 mi 56m

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