Origin
Lake Zurich, IL
Morning in Lake Zurich on Sunday
Local time
8:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Zurich, IL to Evanston, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
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
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Zurich, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lake Zurich, IL to Evanston, IL is 29.5 miles and takes about 45m via Edens Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip primarily within the Midwest region of Illinois. Expect a local drive with a number of turns, making it less about long stretches of highway and more about navigating suburban and urban roads. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick transfer or a leisurely outing without the need for overnight stays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Edens Spur | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| West Half Day Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| Main Street | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Half Day Road | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Central Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Old Orchard Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 5.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Zurich, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on North Old Rand Road
68 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Old Rand Road
2
Turn left onto East Main Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
East Main Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto IL 22
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
4
Continue on IL 22
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on IL 22
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
West Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 94 East Toll: Indiana
7
Merge onto I 94
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Spur
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
Use the slight left lane.
9
Continue on I 94; US 41
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 35
Toward Old Orchard Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Old Orchard Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Orchard Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto Gross Point Road
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Gross Point Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto Central Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Central Street
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right onto Green Bay Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Green Bay Road
15
Turn right onto Asbury Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
16
Turn left onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
17 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 13.9 and 29.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
13.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 94 / Edens Spur
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
7
24.2 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Old Orchard Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 35
Toward Old Orchard Road
5
26 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Gross Point Road
Turn left onto Gross Point Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
29.4 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
Dempster Street
Turn left onto Dempster Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
29.4 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.06 | $10.13 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.68 | $11.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.18
Tri-state Tollway
(2.9 mi)
$0.18
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
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.
Destination
Evanston, IL
Morning in Evanston on Sunday
Local time
8:41 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
21 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m 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 route is characterized as a "Turn-heavy local drive," with only 19% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.6 miles on the Edens Expressway. While a portion uses a major expressway, the overall profile suggests frequent changes in direction and speed as you transition between main roads and local streets. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience rather than a monotonous interstate cruise.
Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 around 13.9 miles in near I 94 / Edens Spur.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.9 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles (Gross Point Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 45m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m 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 5.6 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.18 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 Evanston, 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: at 13.9 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles (Gross Point Road): 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 Evanston, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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