Origin
Franklin Park, IL
Late night in Franklin Park on Saturday
Local time
3:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franklin Park, IL to Evanston, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
15.4 mi
25 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franklin Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Franklin Park to Evanston is 15.4 miles and takes about 29 minutes via West Forest Preserve Drive and Edens Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, making it a convenient local drive. Expect a route with frequent turns, characteristic of navigating through suburban and local road networks. The drive is best suited for a single day, offering a straightforward journey between these two Midwest locations without requiring an overnight stay.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 29m. Total distance: 15.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized by frequent turns, indicated by its 'Turn-heavy local drive' profile. While only 18% of the route is on the Edens Expressway, the majority consists of local streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.1 miles on West Forest Preserve Drive. This means you'll be managing a mix of faster highway segments and more deliberate navigation through residential and commercial areas, requiring your attention to be consistently on the road and upcoming turns.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Forest Preserve Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 3.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 25th Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 (25th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles (IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (West Wilson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
25th Avenue
Turn left onto 25th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue
Turn left onto IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
6.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
West Wilson Avenue
Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
10 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Touhy Avenue East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 39B
Toward Touhy Avenue East
7
15.4 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Franklin Park, IL to Evanston, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue East along the way.
Touhy Avenue East
10 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Forest Preserve Drive | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| West Howard Street | 3 mi | 5m |
| Edens Expressway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| West Montrose Avenue | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Belmont Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| North Cicero Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Skokie Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Forest Preserve Drive
— 3.1 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin Park, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on Franklin Avenue
45 ft
·
9 sec
·
Franklin Avenue
2
Turn left onto 25th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
25th Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto West Belmont Avenue
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
West Belmont Avenue
4
Turn left onto West Forest Preserve Drive
3.1 mi
·
6 min
·
West Forest Preserve Drive
Use the left lane.
5
Turn slight right onto West Montrose Avenue
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
West Montrose Avenue
6
Turn left onto IL 50
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Cicero Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto West Wilson Avenue
449 ft
·
23 sec
·
West Wilson Avenue
Use the right lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 94 West
9
Merge onto I 94
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Edens Expressway
Toward I 94 West: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 39B
Toward Touhy Avenue East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
At end of road, turn left onto IL 50
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Cicero Avenue
12
Continue on IL 50
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Skokie Boulevard
13
Turn right onto West Howard Street
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
West Howard Street
14
Turn left onto Asbury Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Asbury Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
16
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
17 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.41 one way
$4.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.64 | $5.29 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.96 | $5.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.40 | $6.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Evanston, IL
Late night in Evanston on Saturday
Local time
3:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
29m 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 Franklin Park, IL to Evanston, IL covers 15.4 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Forest Preserve Drive, West Howard Street, Edens Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.7 miles from Franklin Park, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.41 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.4 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (25th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.6 miles (IL 50 / North Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles (West Wilson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Franklin Park, IL to Evanston, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Touhy Avenue East along the way.
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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