Origin
Prairie Grove, IL
Night in Prairie Grove on Saturday
Local time
11:49 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prairie Grove, 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
1h 7m
Distance
40.6 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Prairie Grove, IL
Andrew Patrick Photo
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Prairie Grove, IL to Evanston, IL is 40.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 7 minutes via Old McHenry Road and Edens Expressway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. It's a relatively short trip, primarily on surface roads with a brief highway segment. Consider this drive if you're looking for a straightforward connection between these two points without extensive travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Old McHenry Road | 5.8 mi | 10m |
| Edens Expressway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Edens Spur | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| West Half Day Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| West State Road | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Half Day Road | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| South Rand Road | 2.3 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Old McHenry Road
— 5.8 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prairie Grove, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on Barreville Road
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Barreville Road
2
Turn left onto Nish Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Nish Road
3
Turn left onto IL 176
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
West State Road
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on IL 176
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Liberty Street
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto US 12; IL 59
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
South Rand Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
7
Turn left onto V77
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Old McHenry Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
8
Turn left onto IL 22
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on IL 22
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
West Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 94 East Toll: Indiana
11
Merge onto I 94
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Spur
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
Use the slight left lane.
13
Continue on I 94; US 41
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 35
Toward Old Orchard Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn left onto Old Orchard Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Orchard Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn left onto Gross Point Road
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Gross Point Road
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto Central Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Central Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto Green Bay Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Green Bay Road
19
Turn right onto Asbury Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
20
Turn left onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
Use the left lane.
21
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
17 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.3 miles from Prairie Grove, 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 2 and 40.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
IL 176 / West State Road
Turn left onto IL 176 / West State Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
25 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
I 94 / Edens Spur
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 94 East Toll: Chicago
7
35.4 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward Old Orchard Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 35
Toward Old Orchard Road
6
40.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
Dempster Street
Turn left onto Dempster Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
40.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.35 one way
$12.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.97 | $13.94 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.81 | $15.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.96 | $17.93 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.18
Tri-state Tollway
(2.9 mi)
$0.18
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$0
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.68 | $2.60 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Night in Evanston on Saturday
Local time
11:49 PM
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 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 7m 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 is mostly surface roads, with just 14% on the highway. You'll encounter a 5.8-mile stretch on Old McHenry Road before merging onto the Edens Expressway and Edens Spur. Expect to navigate through more developed areas with frequent intersections as you transition from surface streets to the expressway.
Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.8 mi on Old McHenry Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 2 miles in near IL 176 / West State Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 40.6 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 2 miles (IL 176 / West State Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Prairie Grove, IL
Full guide →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 7m. Total distance: 40.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m 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 5.8 miles on Old McHenry Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.18 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 1 rest area or service plaza 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 2 miles (IL 176 / West State Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.4 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Evanston, IL
More from Prairie Grove, IL
More trips to Evanston, IL
Explore more options from Prairie Grove, IL or browse trips ending in Evanston, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.