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Trip from Near North Side, IL to Evanston, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

22m

Distance

11.1 mi

18 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Near North Side, IL, IL

Near North Side, IL

Quang Vuong

suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Near North Side, IL to Evanston, IL is 11.1 miles and takes about 22 minutes via North Western Avenue, North Lincoln Avenue, and North Clybourn Avenue, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois and the Midwest region. It's a straightforward drive that primarily uses city streets, making it ideal for a quick errand, a visit to a neighboring town, or a brief scenic detour if you're already in the area. Plan for it to be a quick hop rather than an extensive expedition.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Western Avenue 3.6 mi 6m
North Lincoln Avenue 2.1 mi 4m
North Clybourn Avenue 2 mi 3m
Asbury Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
North Ashland Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
North Wells Street 0.3 mi <1m
West Division Street 0.3 mi <1m
West Leland Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Western Avenue — 3.6 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Near North Side, IL and Evanston, IL.

1

Start on North Wells Street

0.3 mi · 47 sec · North Wells Street
2

Turn left onto West Division Street

0.3 mi · 33 sec · West Division Street
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn right onto North Clybourn Avenue

2.0 mi · 3 min · North Clybourn Avenue
4

Turn right onto North Ashland Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · North Ashland Avenue
5

Turn slight left onto North Lincoln Avenue

2.1 mi · 4 min · North Lincoln Avenue
6

Turn left onto West Leland Avenue

390 ft · 11 sec · West Leland Avenue
7

Turn right onto North Western Avenue

3.6 mi · 6 min · North Western Avenue
8

Continue on Asbury Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · Asbury Avenue
9

Turn right onto Dempster Street

213 ft · 9 sec · Dempster Street
10

Turn uturn

213 ft · 17 sec
11

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 11 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Division Street

Turn left onto West Division Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
3
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | North Clybourn Avenue

Turn right onto North Clybourn Avenue

Navigation decision point

3
2.6 mi into trip | ~5m in | North Ashland Avenue

Turn right onto North Ashland Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
11 mi into trip | ~21m in | Dempster Street

Turn right onto Dempster Street

Navigation decision point

7
11 mi into trip | ~22m in

Turn uturn

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.69 one way

$3.39 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $1.87 $3.73
premium $4.81 $2.10 $4.20
diesel $5.40 $2.36 $4.72

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.3 0 $1.17 $0.53
Efficient EV 2.8 0 $0.97 $0.44
EV Truck/SUV 4.4 0 $1.55 $0.71

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 Apr 25, 2026

Origin

Near North Side, IL

Late night in Near North Side on Sunday

Local time

2:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Mostly Cloudy

N 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 24 at 9:32PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 24 at 9:06PM CDT until May 1 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Evanston, IL

Late night in Evanston on Sunday

Local time

2:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Mostly Cloudy

N 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 24 at 9:32PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 24 at 9:06PM CDT until May 1 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

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

22m 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?

This route is entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share. You'll be navigating through urban environments for the full 11.1 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.6 miles on North Western Avenue. Expect consistent traffic and intersections typical of city driving.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.6 mi on North Western Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near West Division Street.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 22m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (West Division Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (North Clybourn Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (North Ashland Avenue): Navigation decision point.

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 22m. Total distance: 11.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.6 miles on North Western Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 0.3 miles (West Division Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (North Clybourn Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (North Ashland Avenue): Navigation decision point.

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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