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Trip from Evanston, IL to Earlville, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 9m

Distance

86.3 mi

139 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min
4 AM
2h 0m ★
6 AM
2h 9m
8 AM
2h 28m
10 AM
2h 16m
12 PM
2h 14m
3 PM
2h 17m
5 PM
2h 27m
8 PM
2h 4m

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 Earlville, IL, IL

Earlville, IL

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to Earlville, IL covers 86.3 miles and takes about 2h 9m 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 $12.81 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

43.2 miles from Evanston, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 4m into the drive .

About the Cities

Starting in Evanston, IL

Full guide →

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.

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 2h 9m. Total distance: 86.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 9m drive with frequent turns across 86.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 32 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Evanston, IL to Earlville, IL is easy. At 2h 9m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

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

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Evanston, IL and Earlville, 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

8.9 mi · 11 min · Tri-State Tollway
15

Take the exit slight right toward I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana

1.0 mi · 1 min · I 88 West, I 294 South: Aurora, Indiana
16

Keep slight right to continue on Tri-State Tollway

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Tri-State Tollway
17

Continue on Tri-State Tollway

0.4 mi · 47 sec · Tri-State Tollway
18

Keep slight right to continue on I 88 West Toll: Aurora

0.5 mi · 50 sec · I 88 West Toll: Aurora
19

Merge slight left onto Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

0.8 mi · 1 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
20

Keep slight right to continue on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

25 mi · 30 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
21

Keep slight right to continue on IL 56 West: Sugar Grove

4.2 mi · 5 min · IL 56 West: Sugar Grove
22

Continue straight

2.4 mi · 3 min
23

Turn left onto Dugan Road

0.1 mi · 22 sec · Dugan Road
24

Turn right onto Granart Road

2.1 mi · 4 min · Granart Road
25

At the end of the road, turn left onto Granart Road

3.4 mi · 5 min · Granart Road
26

Continue on Little Rock Road

5.0 mi · 7 min · Little Rock Road
27

Turn right

2.0 mi · 3 min
28

Continue straight

18 mi · 27 min
29

Turn right onto County Highway 41

0.1 mi · 16 sec · County Highway 41
30

Continue on South Ottawa Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Ottawa Street
31

Turn left onto West Winthrop Street

135 ft · 4 sec · West Winthrop Street
32

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 43.2 miles from Evanston, IL, or about 1h 4m 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 19 miles or 28m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 43.2 miles or 1h 4m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 49m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Earlville, 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 86.3 miles and 2h 9m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Evanston, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 43.2 mi from Evanston, IL · 1h 4m into the drive

city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Warrenville, IL

43 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

Des Plaines, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Warrenville, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 43.2 miles from Evanston, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Earlville, IL

The final approach into Earlville, 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 Earlville, 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

$12.81 one way

$25.62 round trip

$3.77/gal 25.4 MPG avg 30 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $14.45 $28.90
premium $4.65 $15.81 $31.63
diesel $5.30 $18.02 $36.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$13

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$38–$63

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 30.2 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 25.9 0 $9.06 $4.14
Efficient EV 21.6 0 $7.55 $3.45
EV Truck/SUV 34.5 0 $12.08 $5.52

Gas CO2

30 kg

EV CO2

10 kg (67% 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

Late night in Evanston on Saturday

Local time

5:23 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Earlville, IL

Late night in Earlville on Saturday

Local time

5:23 AM

CDT

Current temp

71°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

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

2h 9m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Evanston, IL to Earlville, IL covers 86.3 miles and takes about 2h 9m 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 43.2 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 $12.81 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.

The drive from Evanston, IL to Earlville, IL is easy. At 2h 9m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

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

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

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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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