Origin
Evanston, IL
Afternoon in Evanston on Saturday
Local time
12:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Evanston, IL to Elmwood Park, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
15.2 mi
24 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Elmwood Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Evanston, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is 15.2 miles and takes about 29m via Edens Expressway, West Howard Street, and North Central Avenue, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Illinois, taking you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a very local drive, best suited for a quick trip when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss. Expect a straightforward commute with minimal travel time, making it ideal for a spontaneous or necessary local journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edens Expressway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| West Howard Street | 3 mi | 5m |
| North Central Avenue | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Fullerton Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Grand Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| West Montrose Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Cicero Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Edens Expressway
— 3.2 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Elmwood Park, IL.
1
Start on this road
197 ft
·
21 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn left
139 ft
·
15 sec
3
At end of road, turn left onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
14 sec
·
Dempster Street
4
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto West Howard Street
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
West Howard Street
6
Turn left onto US 41
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Skokie Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on IL 50
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
North Cicero Avenue
8
Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Touhy Avenue
Use the right lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 94 East: Chicago
10
Merge onto I 94
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 43A
Toward Wilson Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue
90 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Wilson Avenue
13
Turn left onto IL 50
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Cicero Avenue
14
Turn right onto West Montrose Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Montrose Avenue
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto North Central Avenue
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
West Fullerton Avenue
17
Continue on West Grand Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West Grand Avenue
18
Turn left onto 73rd Avenue
361 ft
·
11 sec
·
73rd Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue
190 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Fullerton Avenue
20
Turn left onto North 73rd Court
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
North 73rd Court
21
Turn left onto West Belden Avenue
160 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
22
Turn right
186 ft
·
13 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
At end of road, turn left
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Asbury Avenue
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 41 / Skokie Boulevard
Turn left onto US 41 / Skokie Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
5.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
West Touhy Avenue
Turn right onto West Touhy Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
8.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward Wilson Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43A
Toward Wilson Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.38 one way
$4.75 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.61 | $5.22 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.93 | $5.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.36 | $6.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| Efficient EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Elmwood Park, IL
Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
12:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°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
4 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
29m 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 characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, meaning you'll be navigating city streets and making frequent turns rather than settling into a long highway cruise. Only 21% of this route involves highway driving, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 3.2 miles on the Edens Expressway. You'll experience a mix of faster highway segments and slower, more intricate local road navigation. Be prepared for traffic lights and intersections as you transition between these road types.
Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.2 mi on Edens Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 19 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.2 miles you will encounter 19 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: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (US 41 / Skokie Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →Founded 1914
The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.
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 29m. Total distance: 15.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m 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 3.2 miles on Edens Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Elmwood Park, 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: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (US 41 / Skokie Boulevard): 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 Elmwood Park, IL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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