Skip to main content
Trip.ovh Logo
Trip.ovh

Trip from Evanston, IL to Lakewood, IL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 10m

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

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 5m ★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Lakewood, IL, IL

Lakewood, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to Lakewood, IL covers 40.6 miles and takes about 1h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East Rand Road, South Northwest Highway, Golf Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.9 miles on East Rand Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.35 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 40.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 10m drive with frequent turns across 40.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Rand Road is the longest continuous segment at about 8.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 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 40.6 miles you will encounter 14 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 (Dempster Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in

At end of road, turn left

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Dempster Street

At end of road, turn left onto Dempster Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Asbury Avenue

Turn right onto Asbury Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
5
13.2 mi into trip | ~24m in | Old Palatine Road

Turn left onto Old Palatine Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
31.8 mi into trip | ~53m in | US 14 / South Northwest Highway

At end of road, turn right onto US 14 / South Northwest Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Rand Road 8.9 mi 12m
South Northwest Highway 7.3 mi 12m
Golf Road 6.7 mi 12m
State Route 22 4.9 mi 7m
Milwaukee Avenue 4.5 mi 7m
Palatine Road 3.8 mi 6m
Emerson Street 1 mi 2m
Asbury Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: East Rand Road — 8.9 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Lakewood, 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 · 11 sec · Dempster Street
4

Turn right onto Asbury Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · Asbury Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Turn left onto Emerson Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · Emerson Street
6

Continue on Golf Road

6.7 mi · 12 min · Golf Road
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto IL 21

0.2 mi · 19 sec · North Milwaukee Avenue
8

Continue on IL 21

4.5 mi · 7 min · Milwaukee Avenue
Use the left lane.
9

Turn left onto Old Palatine Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Old Palatine Road
Use the left lane.
10

Continue on West Palatine Road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · West Palatine Road
11

Take the ramp

359 ft · 9 sec
Toward Palatine Road
12

Merge onto Palatine Road

3.8 mi · 6 min · Palatine Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn right onto US 12

8.9 mi · 12 min · East Rand Road
Use the right lane.
14

Turn left onto IL 22

0.4 mi · 53 sec · West Main Street
Use the left lane.
15

Continue on IL 22

4.9 mi · 7 min · State Route 22
16

At end of road, turn right onto US 14

7.3 mi · 12 min · South Northwest Highway
Use the left lane.
17

Continue on US 14

0.4 mi · 41 sec · West Virginia Street
18

Turn left onto South Dole Avenue

0.3 mi · 51 sec · South Dole Avenue
19

Continue on Lake Shore Drive

509 ft · 22 sec · Lake Shore Drive
20

Continue on Lake Avenue

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Lake Avenue
21

Turn left onto Riverside Drive

305 ft · 14 sec · Riverside Drive
22

Turn right onto Broadway Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Broadway Avenue
23

Arrive at destination

Broadway Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 20.3 mi from Evanston, IL · 35m into the drive

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Palatine, IL

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

Crystal Lake, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Palatine, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.3 miles from Evanston, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lakewood, IL

The final approach into Lakewood, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

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

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Evanston, IL

Afternoon in Evanston on Thursday

Local time

4:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

NNW 10 to 15 mph 42% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Lakewood, IL

Afternoon in Lakewood on Thursday

Local time

4:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

68°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

1h 10m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Evanston, IL to Lakewood, IL covers 40.6 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Rand Road, South Northwest Highway, Golf Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.3 miles from Evanston, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.35 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 40.6 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles (Dempster Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Asbury Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Evanston, IL to Lakewood, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Lakewood, IL

Des Plaines, IL 30.6 mi · 52m

More from Evanston, IL

Bremen, IL 358.2 mi · 7h 3m Randolph, IL 358.1 mi · 7h 3m Crestwood, IL 342.6 mi · 6h 34m Cambria, IL 335 mi · 6h 24m Crainville, IL 334.9 mi · 6h 22m Elsah, IL 308.6 mi · 6h 7m

More trips to Lakewood, IL

Bremen, IL 353.4 mi Champaign, IL 184 mi North Peoria, IL 168.4 mi Bloomington, IL 140.5 mi Joliet, IL 64.5 mi Chicago, IL 54.3 mi
Weekend drives from Evanston, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Evanston, IL or browse trips ending in Lakewood, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.

Explore maps for Evanston, IL or Lakewood, IL on MapSof.net.