Origin
Park Ridge, IL
Late night in Park Ridge on Tuesday
Local time
4:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Park Ridge, IL to Evanston, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
9.7 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Park Ridge, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 9.7-mile drive from Park Ridge, IL to Evanston, IL takes about 18 minutes and is a perfect candidate for a quick day trip. You'll primarily navigate local streets like Oakton Street and West Touhy Avenue, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is a budget-friendly $2. Given its brevity, this route offers a lot of flexibility for when you choose to travel. It's a straightforward local transit that keeps you within the familiar Midwest region of Illinois, ideal for a spontaneous outing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oakton Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| West Touhy Avenue | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| West Howard Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Harlem Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Gross Point Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| New Gross Point Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Dempster Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Oakton Street
— 4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on this road
24 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue
92 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Greenwood Avenue
3
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
West Touhy Avenue
4
Turn left onto IL 43
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Harlem Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto West Howard Street
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
West Howard Street
6
Turn left onto New Gross Point Road
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
New Gross Point Road
7
Continue on Gross Point Road
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Gross Point Road
8
Turn right onto Oakton Street
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Oakton Street
9
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
11
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
17 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.6 — 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
|
North Greenwood Avenue
Turn left onto North Greenwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn left onto West Touhy Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue
Turn left onto IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
8.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Asbury Avenue
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
9.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.52 one way
$3.03 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.67 | $3.33 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.87 | $3.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.14 | $4.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 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 | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.47 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.85 | $0.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.36 | $0.62 |
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 Tuesday
Local time
4:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
18m 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 for this 9.7-mile trip, as evidenced by the 0% highway share. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is about 4 miles on Oakton Street, offering a brief moment of steady progress before more turns. This route is characterized by its urban and suburban feel, with frequent intersections and traffic signals common to local road networks. You'll be navigating through established neighborhoods and commercial areas, so be prepared for a dynamic driving experience.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 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?
4/10
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 North Greenwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 9 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 (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (West Touhy Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (IL 43 / North Harlem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Park Ridge, IL
Full guide →Park Ridge is a city in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicagoland, just outside of Chicago. It has a lively uptown area that has plenty of local businesses and restaurants. You can watch a film at the historic Pickwick Theatre or have a pool day at Centennial Park. Park Ridge is a great and accessible small town to escape to for a day trip, with lots of fun and exciting activities to fill your schedule.
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 18m. Total distance: 9.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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 (North Greenwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; near the start (West Touhy Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (IL 43 / North Harlem 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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