Origin
Niles, IL
Late night in Niles on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Niles, 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
14m
Distance
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Niles, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 7.2-mile drive from Niles to Evanston, Illinois, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 14 minutes to complete. With no highway travel involved and a minimal fuel cost of around $1, it's a straightforward local journey through the Midwest. The route is characterized by frequent turns, making it more of a navigational experience than a long-haul trip. Given its brevity, this drive is perfect for a quick excursion without the need for an overnight stay, offering flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oakton Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| West Howard Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| Gross Point Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| New Gross Point Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Dempster Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Waukegan Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Oakton Street
— 4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Niles, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on North Waukegan Road
14 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Waukegan Road
2
Turn right onto West Howard Street
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
West Howard Street
3
Turn left onto New Gross Point Road
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
New Gross Point Road
4
Continue on Gross Point Road
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Gross Point Road
5
Turn right onto Oakton Street
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Oakton Street
6
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
8
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
17 sec
9
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Howard Street
Turn right onto West Howard Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
New Gross Point Road
Turn left onto New Gross Point Road
Navigation decision point
5
6.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Asbury Avenue
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
7.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Dempster Street
Turn right onto Dempster Street
Navigation decision point
7
7.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.13 one way
$2.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.24 | $2.47 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.39 | $2.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
12:58 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
1 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
14m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive connecting Niles and Evanston, primarily utilizing Oakton Street, West Howard Street, and Asbury Avenue. With zero highway share, this route keeps you on surface streets for its entire 7.2 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 4 miles along Oakton Street. The road's personality is consistently local, requiring your attention for frequent turns rather than sustained high-speed cruising.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4 mi on Oakton Street.
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 early in the drive near West Howard 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 14m 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: near the start (West Howard Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (New Gross Point Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): 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 14m. Total distance: 7.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m 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 4 miles on Oakton Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (West Howard Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (New Gross Point Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): 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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