Origin
Prairie Grove, IL
Afternoon in Prairie Grove on Saturday
Local time
2:08 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prairie Grove, 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
1h 3m
Distance
41.3 mi
67 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
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Prairie Grove, IL
Andrew Patrick Photo
Evanston, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Prairie Grove, IL to Evanston, IL covers 41.3 miles and takes about 1h 3m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Nish Road, West State Road, West Liberty Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nish Road | — | — |
| West State Road | — | — |
| West Liberty Street | — | — |
| South Rand Road | — | — |
| Old McHenry Road | — | — |
| Half Day Road | — | — |
| West Half Day Road | — | — |
| I 94 East | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Nish Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prairie Grove, IL and Evanston, IL.
1
Start on Barreville Road
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
Barreville Road
2
Turn left onto Nish Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Nish Road
3
Turn left onto West State Road
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
West State Road
4
Continue on West Liberty Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Liberty Street
5
Take the ramp right
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
6
Merge slight left onto South Rand Road
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
South Rand Road
7
Turn left onto Old McHenry Road
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Old McHenry Road
8
Turn left onto Half Day Road
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Half Day Road
9
Continue on West Half Day Road
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
West Half Day Road
10
Take the ramp right toward I 94 East Toll: Indiana
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
I 94 East Toll: Indiana
11
Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Tri-State Tollway
12
Keep slight left to continue on Edens Spur
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Spur
13
Continue on Edens Expressway
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Edens Expressway
14
Take the exit slight right toward US 41 South: Skokie Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
US 41 South: Skokie Road
15
Turn left onto Glenview Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Glenview Road
16
Turn right onto Crawford Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Crawford Avenue
17
Turn left onto Central Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Central Street
18
Turn right onto Green Bay Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Green Bay Road
19
Turn right onto Asbury Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Asbury Avenue
20
Turn left onto Dempster Street
213 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dempster Street
21
Turn uturn
213 ft
·
18 sec
22
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.7 miles from Prairie Grove, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.46 one way
$12.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.09 | $14.18 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.95 | $15.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.12 | $18.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 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 | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
| Efficient EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.78 | $2.64 |
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
Evanston, IL
Afternoon in Evanston on Saturday
Local time
2:08 PM
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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 3m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
41.3 mi in 1h 3m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Nish Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
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 Prairie Grove, IL to Evanston, IL is easy. At 1h 3m 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 Prairie Grove, IL to Evanston, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in Prairie Grove, IL
Full guide →Arriving 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 3m. Total distance: 41.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m 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
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Prairie Grove, IL to Evanston, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Evanston, IL before heading back.
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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