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Trip from Evanston, IL to South Shore, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

41m

Distance

23.5 mi

38 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 38m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown South Shore, IL, IL

South Shore, IL

Wallace Silva

Trip Overview

Evanston, IL to South Shore, IL is 23.5 miles and takes about 41 minutes via North Western Avenue, Dan Ryan Expressway, and Kennedy Expressway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region and the state of Illinois, making it a straightforward local journey. The route offers a mix of urban and expressway driving, suitable for a quick transit or a part of a larger regional exploration. You'll navigate through familiar Illinois landscapes as you make your way to your destination.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 23.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

This drive features a mixed profile, with 46% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches on North Western Avenue before transitioning to the faster pace of the Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressways. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 5.5 miles on North Western Avenue, providing a taste of local road navigation before the expressways take over. Expect a dynamic driving experience, shifting between city streets and high-speed travel.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Western Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 5.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

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 18.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 18 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

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

Turn left onto Asbury Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
18.6 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward I 90 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 59A Toward I 90 East
7
20 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward 71st Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 59C Toward 71st Street
8
20.3 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 71st Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 59C Toward 71st Street

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Western Avenue 5.5 mi 11m
Dan Ryan Expressway (Express) 3.8 mi 5m
Kennedy Expressway 3.6 mi 5m
Dan Ryan Expressway 2.4 mi 2m
Asbury Avenue 1.5 mi 2m
West 71st Street 1.1 mi 2m
Dan Ryan Expressway (Local) 0.9 mi 1m
East 75th Street 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: North Western Avenue — 5.5 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and South Shore, 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

Continue on North Western Avenue

5.5 mi · 11 min · North Western Avenue
6

Turn left onto North Clybourn Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Clybourn Avenue
Use the left lane.
7

Turn right onto North Damen Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · North Damen Avenue
8

Turn left onto West Webster Avenue

139 ft · 2 sec · West Webster Avenue
9

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward I 90 East, I 94 East
10

Merge onto I 90; I 94

3.6 mi · 5 min · Kennedy Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on I 90; I 94

2.4 mi · 2 min · Dan Ryan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94

3.8 mi · 5 min · Dan Ryan Expressway (Express)
Toward I 90 Express, I 94 Express
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 59A Toward I 90 East Use the right lane.
14

Merge onto I 90; I 94

0.5 mi · 49 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Use the slight left lane.
15

Keep slight right at fork onto I 94

0.4 mi · 26 sec · Dan Ryan Expressway (Local)
Toward I 94 East: Indiana
16

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 50 sec
Exit 59C Toward 71st Street Use the slight right lane.
17

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 59C Toward 71st Street Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn straight onto South Lafayette Avenue

303 ft · 8 sec · South Lafayette Avenue
19

Turn left onto West 71st Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · West 71st Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
20

Turn slight right onto South South Chicago Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · South South Chicago Avenue
21

Turn left onto East 75th Street

0.9 mi · 1 min · East 75th Street
22

Turn left onto South Baldwin Avenue

0.1 mi · 31 sec · South Baldwin Avenue
23

Turn right onto East 74th Street

154 ft · 12 sec · East 74th Street
24

Turn left onto South Euclid Avenue

471 ft · 20 sec · South Euclid Avenue
25

Arrive at destination

South Euclid Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.67 one way

$7.35 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.03 $8.07
premium $4.89 $4.52 $9.04
diesel $5.61 $5.19 $10.38

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.1 0 $2.47 $1.13
Efficient EV 5.9 0 $2.06 $0.94
EV Truck/SUV 9.4 0 $3.29 $1.50

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 Friday

Local time

4:11 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

South Shore, IL

Afternoon in South Shore on Friday

Local time

4:11 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

NNW 10 to 15 mph 40% 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

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

41m 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 South Shore, IL covers 23.5 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are North Western Avenue, Dan Ryan Expressway (Express), Kennedy Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 11.7 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 $3.67 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 is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

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 18.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Evanston, IL to South Shore, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

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

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.