Origin
Plainfield, IL
Late night in Plainfield on Sunday
Local time
1:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plainfield, 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
49.7 mi
80 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great 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 20m
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.
Plainfield, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Plainfield, IL to Evanston, IL is 49.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via Tri-State Tollway and I-55, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest's familiar landscape. Expect a mix of tollway cruising and surface street navigation as you make your way toward Evanston. Given its relatively short length and manageable duration, this trip is well-suited for a single-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-State Tollway | 16.6 mi | 20m |
| I 55 | 15.4 mi | 20m |
| Oakton Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| East Touhy Avenue | 3 mi | 5m |
| East Main Street | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| West Howard Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Division Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Tri-State Tollway
— 16.6 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plainfield, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on West Hazelcrest Drive
309 ft
·
16 sec
·
West Hazelcrest Drive
2
Turn right onto IL 59
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Division Street
3
Turn sharp left onto South Naperville Road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
South Naperville Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto North Mill Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Mill Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto IL 126
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
East Main Street
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 55 North
7
Merge onto I 55
15 mi
·
20 min
·
I 55
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
1.6 mi
·
3 min
Exit 277A
Toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin
Use the right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 294 North: Wisconsin
10
Merge onto I 294
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 294
12 mi
·
15 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 24.8 miles from Plainfield, 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 205 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 49.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South Naperville Road
Turn sharp left onto South Naperville Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
19.3 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 277A
Toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin
7
37.8 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
38.4 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
7
49.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.58 one way
$15.16 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $8.35 | $16.70 |
| premium | $4.81 | $9.40 | $18.81 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $10.57 | $21.14 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.99
Tri-state Tollway
(16.6 mi)
$0.99
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$1
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.22 | $2.39 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.9 | 0 | $6.96 | $3.18 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
41°F
Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog
ENE 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
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
1h 15m 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 a mixed highway and surface road experience, with 31% of the drive on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 16.6 miles on the Tri-State Tollway before transitioning to surface streets. Be prepared for increasing urban merging and dense exits as you approach your destination. The shift from higher-speed tollway to local roads will be noticeable.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.6 mi on Tri-State Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near South Naperville Road.
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 49.7 miles you will encounter 20 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 1 miles (South Naperville Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
On the drive from Plainfield, IL to Evanston, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue East along the way.
Touhy Avenue East
38.4 mi in
|
~54m
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 1h 15m. Total distance: 49.7 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.6 miles on Tri-State Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.99 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.
Yes — we found about 7 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.
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 1 miles (South Naperville Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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