Trip from Evanston, IL to Guilford, IL

Drive Time

3h 28m

Distance

155.3 mi

250 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$23

one way

Downtown Guilford, IL, IL

Photo: Mike Tyurin

Trip Overview

The drive from Evanston, IL to Guilford, IL covers 155.3 miles and takes about 3h 28m 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 $23.06 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.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

77.6 miles from Evanston, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 44m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 3h 28m drive with frequent turns across 155.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 33 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.

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 Guilford, 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

3.3 mi · 6 min · West Touhy Avenue
12

Turn left onto South Dee Road

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Dee Road
13

Turn right onto Devon Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · Devon Avenue
14

Take the ramp slight right toward I 90 West Toll

0.3 mi · 33 sec · I 90 West Toll
15

Merge slight left onto Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

59 mi · 1 hr 3 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
16

Take the exit slight right toward I-39 South, US 51 South: Bloomington

0.7 mi · 1 min · I-39 South, US 51 South: Bloomington
17

Merge slight right

0.5 mi · 30 sec
18

Continue straight

2.1 mi · 2 min
19

Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway

30 mi · 34 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
20

Take the exit slight right toward US 20 BUS: Freeport

3.6 mi · 5 min · US 20 BUS: Freeport
21

Turn slight right onto South Galena Avenue

7.3 mi · 13 min · South Galena Avenue
22

Turn left onto U.S. Grant Memorial Highway

14 mi · 19 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
23

Continue on East North Avenue

2.1 mi · 3 min · East North Avenue
24

Continue on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway

6.4 mi · 8 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
25

Continue on East Woodbine Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Woodbine Street
26

Continue on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway

4.6 mi · 6 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
27

Continue on South Main Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
28

Turn straight onto Diagonal Street

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Diagonal Street
29

Continue on West Madison Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Madison Street
30

Turn right onto South Elizabeth Scales Mound Road

8.1 mi · 14 min · South Elizabeth Scales Mound Road
31

Turn left onto West Rawlins Road

1.9 mi · 4 min · West Rawlins Road
32

Continue on West Guilford Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · West Guilford Road
33

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 77.6 miles from Evanston, IL, or about 1h 44m 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 47m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 77.6 miles or 1h 44m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 51m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Guilford, 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 155.3 miles and 3h 28m.

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 77.6 mi from Evanston, IL · 1h 44m into the drive

Downtown Rockford, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rockford, IL

78 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

Rockford, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Rockford, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 77.6 miles from Evanston, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Guilford, IL

The final approach into Guilford, 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 Guilford, 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

$23.06 one way

$46.11 round trip

$3.77/gal 25.4 MPG avg 54 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $26.00 $52.01
premium $4.65 $28.46 $56.91
diesel $5.30 $32.43 $64.86

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$23

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$48–$73

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 54.3 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $16 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 46.6 0 $16.31 $7.45
Efficient EV 38.8 0 $13.59 $6.21
EV Truck/SUV 62.1 0 $21.74 $9.94

Gas CO2

54 kg

EV CO2

18 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

Local time and weather at both ends of the drive

Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.

Forecast data refreshed 21 hours ago

Origin

Evanston, IL

Morning in Evanston on Saturday

Local time

8:33 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Forecast unavailable right now

CDT Live mapsof forecast

Destination

Guilford, IL

Morning in Guilford on Saturday

Local time

8:33 AM

CDT

Current temp

73°F

Forecast unavailable right now

CDT Live mapsof forecast

Along the Route

43°F

Rockford, IL

78 mi in

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

3h 28m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Evanston, IL to Guilford, IL covers 155.3 miles and takes about 3h 28m 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 77.6 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 $23.06 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Guilford, IL to Evanston, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

151.9 mi 2h 49m

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

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.

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