Origin
Evanston, IL
Morning in Evanston on Saturday
Local time
11:28 AM
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 Dempster Street, Asbury Avenue, Green Bay Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.28 one way before food or hotel costs.
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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 7m drive with frequent turns across 40.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 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 Prairie Grove, IL is easy. At 1h 7m 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 Prairie Grove, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dempster Street | — | — |
| Asbury Avenue | — | — |
| Green Bay Road | — | — |
| Central Street | — | — |
| Crawford Avenue | — | — |
| Wilmette Avenue | — | — |
| Glenview Road | — | — |
| Skokie Boulevard | — | — |
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 Prairie Grove, 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
·
11 sec
·
Dempster Street
4
Turn right onto Asbury Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
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
7
Turn right onto Crawford Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Crawford Avenue
8
Turn left onto Wilmette Avenue
89 ft
·
2 sec
·
Wilmette Avenue
9
Keep slight left to continue on Glenview Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Glenview Road
10
Turn right onto Skokie Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Skokie Boulevard
11
Take the ramp straight toward I 94 West
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
I 94 West
12
Merge slight left onto Edens Expressway
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Expressway
13
Keep slight right to continue on Edens Spur
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Edens Spur
14
Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
15
Take the exit slight right toward IL 22: Half Day Road
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
IL 22: Half Day Road
16
Turn left onto Half Day Road
6.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Half Day Road
17
Turn right onto Old McHenry Road
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Old McHenry Road
18
Turn right onto North Rand Road
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
North Rand Road
19
Take the exit slight right toward IL 176
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
IL 176
20
Turn left onto West Liberty Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Liberty Street
21
Continue on East State Road
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
East State Road
22
Turn right onto Nish Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Nish Road
23
At the end of the road, turn right onto Barreville Road
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Barreville Road
24
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 20.1 mi from Evanston, IL · 33m into the drive
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.
Arriving in Prairie Grove, IL
The final approach into Prairie Grove, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
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 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$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
Morning in Prairie Grove on Saturday
Local time
11:28 AM
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Evanston, IL to Prairie Grove, IL covers 40.2 miles and takes about 1h 7m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dempster Street, Asbury Avenue, Green Bay Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.1 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 $6.28 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 Prairie Grove, IL is easy. At 1h 7m 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 Prairie Grove, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Evanston, IL to Prairie Grove, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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