Trip from Evanston, IL to Markham, IL

Drive Time

5h 1m

Distance

258.6 mi

416 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$39

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 41 min
4 AM
4h 48m ★
6 AM
5h 2m
8 AM
5h 29m
10 AM
5h 11m
12 PM
5h 9m
3 PM
5h 13m
5 PM
5h 28m
8 PM
4h 54m

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

Downtown Evanston, IL, IL

Evanston, IL

Stéphane Tendon

Downtown Markham, IL, IL

Markham, IL

Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to Markham, IL covers 258.6 miles and takes about 5h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Dempster Street, Asbury Avenue, Oakton Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $39.28 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

129.3 miles from Evanston, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 30m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 5h 1m drive with frequent turns across 258.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dempster Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 5h 1m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Evanston, IL to Markham, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dempster Street Unavailable Refreshing
Asbury Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Oakton Street Unavailable Refreshing
Gross Point Road Unavailable Refreshing
New Gross Point Road Unavailable Refreshing
Howard Street Unavailable Refreshing
North Lehigh Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
West Gross Point Road Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Dempster Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Markham, IL.

1

Start on the route

197 ft · 22 sec · the route
2

At the end of the road, turn left

141 ft · 16 sec
3

At the end of the road, turn left onto Dempster Street

213 ft · 15 sec · Dempster Street
4

Turn left onto Asbury Avenue

1.0 mi · 1 min · Asbury Avenue
5

Turn right onto Oakton Street

4.0 mi · 7 min · Oakton Street
6

Turn slight left onto Gross Point Road

0.5 mi · 52 sec · Gross Point Road
7

Turn straight onto New Gross Point Road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · New Gross Point Road
8

Turn right onto Howard Street

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Howard Street
9

Turn left onto North Lehigh Avenue

121 ft · 2 sec · North Lehigh Avenue
10

Turn right onto West Gross Point Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · West Gross Point Road
11

Turn slight right onto West Touhy Avenue

4.0 mi · 7 min · West Touhy Avenue
12

Turn left onto South Des Plaines River Road

184 ft · 4 sec · South Des Plaines River Road
13

Take the ramp slight right toward I 294 South: Indiana

0.4 mi · 55 sec · I 294 South: Indiana
14

Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway

11 mi · 14 min · Tri-State Tollway
15

Keep slight left to continue on Tri-State Tollway

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
16

Keep slight right to continue on Tri-State Tollway

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tri-State Tollway
17

Take the exit slight right toward I 55: Chicago, St. Louis

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 55: Chicago, St. Louis
18

Keep slight right to continue on I 55 South: Saint Louis

0.4 mi · 56 sec · I 55 South: Saint Louis
19

Merge slight left onto Adlai Stevenson Expressway

119 mi · 2 hr 13 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
20

Keep slight right to continue on I 55 South: Saint Louis, Springfield

65 mi · 1 hr 10 min · I 55 South: Saint Louis, Springfield
21

Keep slight right to continue on I 72 West, US 36 West: Jacksonville

37 mi · 39 min · I 72 West, US 36 West: Jacksonville
22

Take the exit slight right toward I 72 Business East, US 67 North: Jacksonville

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 72 Business East, US 67 North: Jacksonville
23

Merge slight left

6.0 mi · 6 min
24

Turn left onto Markham Road

1.1 mi · 4 min · Markham Road
25

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 129.3 miles from Evanston, IL, or about 2h 30m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 33m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 129.3 miles or 2h 30m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 7m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Markham, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Evanston, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Evanston, IL

This is one driving day of about 258.6 miles and 5h 1m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Evanston, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 129.3 mi from Evanston, IL · 2h 30m into the drive

Downtown Normal, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Normal, IL

129 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

Joliet, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Normal, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 129.3 miles from Evanston, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Markham, IL

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

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Markham, IL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$39.28 one way

$78.56 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 91 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $43.30 $86.60
premium $4.80 $48.82 $97.64
diesel $5.64 $57.45 $114.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$39

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$64–$89

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 90.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $27 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 77.6 0 $27.15 $12.41
Efficient EV 64.7 0 $22.63 $10.34
EV Truck/SUV 103.4 1 $36.20 $16.55

Gas CO2

90 kg

EV CO2

30 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

Evanston, IL

Afternoon in Evanston on Sunday

Local time

4:16 PM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Markham, IL

Afternoon in Markham on Sunday

Local time

4:16 PM

CDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

23 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

5h 1m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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 Markham, IL covers 258.6 miles and takes about 5h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dempster Street, Asbury Avenue, Oakton Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 129.3 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 $39.28 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 5h 1m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Evanston, IL to Markham, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Evanston, IL to Markham, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Markham, IL to Evanston, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

36.8 mi 55m

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

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