Origin
Evanston, IL
Afternoon in Evanston on Saturday
Local time
12:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Evanston, IL to Prairie Grove, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 7m
Distance
40.2 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 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
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.
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Prairie Grove, IL
Andrew Patrick Photo
Trip Overview
The drive from Evanston, IL to Prairie Grove, IL covers 40.2 miles and takes about 1h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Half Day Road, Old McHenry Road, Edens Spur for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.8 miles on Half Day Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.28 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Half Day Road | 6.8 mi | 11m |
| Old McHenry Road | 5.8 mi | 10m |
| Edens Spur | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| East State Road | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| Edens Expressway | 4 mi | 5m |
| Tri-State Tollway | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| North Rand Road | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Nish Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
Half Day Road
— 6.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Prairie Grove, 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 Green Bay Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Green Bay Road
6
Turn left onto Central Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Central Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto Crawford Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Crawford Avenue
8
Turn left onto Wilmette Avenue
90 ft
·
1 sec
·
Wilmette Avenue
9
Keep slight left at fork onto Glenview Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Glenview Road
10
Turn right onto US 41
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Skokie Boulevard
11
Take the ramp onto US 41
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
US 41
Toward I 94 West
12
Merge onto I 94; US 41
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Edens Spur
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 94
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 21
Toward IL 22: Half Day Road
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn left onto IL 22
6.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Half Day Road
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto V77
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Old McHenry Road
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto US 12
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Rand Road
19
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
Toward IL 176
Use the slight right lane.
20
Turn left onto IL 176
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Liberty Street
21
Continue on IL 176
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
East State Road
22
Turn right onto Nish Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Nish Road
23
At end of road, turn right onto Barreville Road
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Barreville Road
24
Arrive at destination
Barreville Road
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 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.1 miles from Evanston, 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 215 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 33.4 — 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 right onto Asbury Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 94 / Edens Spur
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 / Edens Spur toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
7
18 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward IL 22: Half Day Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 21
Toward IL 22: Half Day Road
6
33.4 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward IL 176
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward IL 176
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.28 one way
$12.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.90 | $13.80 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.74 | $15.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.88 | $17.75 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.15
Tri-state Tollway
(2.6 mi)
$0.15
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
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 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 | 12.1 | 0 | $4.22 | $1.93 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.52 | $1.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.63 | $2.57 |
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
Prairie Grove, IL
Afternoon in Prairie Grove on Saturday
Local time
12:43 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 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?
40.2 mi in 1h 7m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.8 mi on Half Day Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 early in the drive.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 40.2 miles you will encounter 21 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 10.1 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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
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: 40.2 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 6.8 miles on Half Day Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.15 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.
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 Prairie Grove, 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 10.1 miles (I 94 / Edens Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Prairie Grove, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Prairie Grove, IL
More trips to Prairie Grove, IL
Explore more options from Evanston, IL or browse trips ending in Prairie Grove, IL.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.