Origin
Montgomery, IL
Late night in Montgomery on Sunday
Local time
1:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Montgomery, IL to Evanston, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
50.7 mi
82 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Montgomery, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Montgomery, IL to Evanston, IL is 50.7 miles and takes about 1h 15m via Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway and Tri-State Tollway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Illinois, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a fairly short trip that can easily be done in a single day, perfect for a quick transfer or a visit without a long commitment. The route is primarily on tollways, so be prepared for those costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 22.6 mi | 28m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 9.9 mi | 13m |
| South Lake Street | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| Oakton Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| East Touhy Avenue | 3 mi | 5m |
| West Howard Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Harlem Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 22.6 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Montgomery, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on IL 31
90 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Lake Street
2
Continue on IL 31
4.7 mi
·
8 min
·
South Lake Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on South Lincolnway Street
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Lincolnway Street
4
Take the ramp
387 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Use the left lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
this road
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
7
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
18 mi
·
22 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 139
Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 294 Toll North: O'Hare International Airport, Milwaukee
11
Merge onto I 294
9.9 mi
·
13 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 42A
Toward Touhy Avenue East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto East Touhy Avenue
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
East Touhy Avenue
16
Turn left onto IL 43
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto West Howard Street
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
West Howard Street
18
Turn left onto New Gross Point Road
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
New Gross Point Road
19
Continue on Gross Point Road
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Gross Point Road
20
Turn right onto Oakton Street
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Oakton Street
21
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
22
Turn right onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
23
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
17 sec
24
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.3 miles from Montgomery, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 5.1 and 39.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
5.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the ramp toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago, Dekalb-Iowa
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 88 West Toll, IL 56 West Toll: Chicago...
8
5.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 88 East: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 88 East: Chicago
8
28.1 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rockford
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 139
Toward I 294 North, I 290 West: Milwaukee, Rock...
7
38.8 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward Touhy Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 42 A-B
Toward Touhy Avenue
8
39.5 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Touhy Avenue East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 42A
Toward Touhy Avenue East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.73 one way
$15.47 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $8.52 | $17.04 |
| premium | $4.81 | $9.59 | $19.19 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $10.78 | $21.57 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.95
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(22.6 mi)
$1.35
Tri-state Tollway
(9.9 mi)
$0.60
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.32 | $2.43 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.3 | 0 | $7.10 | $3.24 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Evanston, IL
Late night in Evanston on Sunday
Local time
1:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
58°F
Elmhurst, IL
25 mi 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
13 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
1h 15m 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 has 0% highway, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire 50.7 miles. The longest stretch without a significant turn or stop is 22.6 miles on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. Expect a lot of merging and exiting as you navigate through various towns and suburban areas. The profile is mostly surface roads, so plan for traffic lights and intersections.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.6 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 5.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.7 miles you will encounter 17 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: at 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Montgomery, IL and Evanston, IL, road signs point toward Dekalb-Iowa, Rockford, Milwaukee and Touhy Avenue East.
Dekalb-Iowa
5.1 mi in
|
~9m
Rockford
28.1 mi in
|
~38m
Milwaukee
28.7 mi in
|
~39m
Touhy Avenue East
39.5 mi in
|
~54m
About the Cities
Starting in Montgomery, IL
Full guide →Founded 1832
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 1h 15m. Total distance: 50.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m 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 22.6 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.95 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan Memorial 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 5.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.1 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 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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