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Trip from Evanston, IL to River Forest, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

33m

Distance

17 mi

27 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 31m ★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m

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

River Forest, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to River Forest, IL covers 17 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Edens Expressway, West Howard Street, North Central Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.2 miles on Edens Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.64 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Edens Expressway 3.2 mi 4m
West Howard Street 3 mi 5m
North Central Avenue 2.5 mi 5m
North Harlem Avenue 1.8 mi 4m
Asbury Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
West Fullerton Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
West Montrose Avenue 1 mi 2m
West Grand Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Edens Expressway — 3.2 mi, about 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and River Forest, 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

Turn right onto West Howard Street

3.0 mi · 5 min · West Howard Street
6

Turn left onto US 41

0.3 mi · 24 sec · Skokie Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7

Continue on IL 50

0.2 mi · 32 sec · North Cicero Avenue
8

Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue

0.2 mi · 24 sec · West Touhy Avenue
Use the right lane.
9

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 94 East: Chicago
10

Merge onto I 94

3.2 mi · 4 min · Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 43A Toward Wilson Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue

90 ft · 10 sec · West Wilson Avenue
13

Turn left onto IL 50

0.3 mi · 27 sec · North Cicero Avenue
14

Turn right onto West Montrose Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Montrose Avenue
Use the right lane.
15

Turn left onto North Central Avenue

2.5 mi · 5 min · North Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
16

Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue

1.2 mi · 2 min · West Fullerton Avenue
17

Continue on West Grand Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · West Grand Avenue
18

Turn left onto IL 43

1.8 mi · 4 min · North Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
19

Turn right onto Augusta Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Augusta Street
20

Arrive at destination

Augusta Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.6 — 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.
6
4.6 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 41 / Skokie Boulevard

Turn left onto US 41 / Skokie Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
5.1 mi into trip | ~10m in | West Touhy Avenue

Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
8.6 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward Wilson Avenue

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 43A Toward Wilson Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.64 one way

$5.27 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $2.89 $5.78
premium $4.93 $3.30 $6.60
diesel $5.60 $3.75 $7.49

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.1 0 $1.79 $0.82
Efficient EV 4.3 0 $1.49 $0.68
EV Truck/SUV 6.8 0 $2.38 $1.09

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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

Evening in Evanston on Sunday

Local time

5:38 PM

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

River Forest, IL

Evening in River Forest on Sunday

Local time

5:38 PM

CDT

Current temp

65°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

1 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

33m 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?

17 mi in 33m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 19% 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: 3.2 mi on Edens Expressway.

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 16 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 17 miles you will encounter 16 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 (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (US 41 / Skokie Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

651 ft 596 ft

Total Climb

92 ft

Total Descent

78 ft

Highest Point

651 ft

~14.6 mi in

Elevation Range

55 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

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 33m. Total distance: 17 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

33m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.2 miles on Edens Expressway. 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 River Forest, 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 4.6 miles (US 41 / Skokie Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at River Forest, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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