Trip from Summit, IL to Evanston, IL

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

41m

Distance

23.3 mi

38 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min

4 AM

0h 38m ★

6 AM

0h 42m

8 AM

0h 49m

10 AM

0h 44m

12 PM

0h 44m

3 PM

0h 45m

5 PM

0h 49m

8 PM

0h 40m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Summit, IL

Rodrigo Contreras Elvira

suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Evanston, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Summit, IL to Evanston, IL covers 23.3 miles and takes about 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North Western Avenue, Stevenson Expressway, Adlai Stevenson Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.5 miles on North Western Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.64 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 23.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile.

Drive Character

The drive from Summit, IL to Evanston, IL covers 23.3 miles and takes about 41m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.

There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

North Western Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 5.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 23.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 7.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

7.7 mi into trip | ~11m in

Take the exit toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 290 Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue

7.8 mi into trip | ~11m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Damen Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Damen Avenue

8.1 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue

12.5 mi into trip | ~21m in

Turn left toward I 90 West, I 94 West

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward I 90 West, I 94 West

14.7 mi into trip | ~24m in

Take the exit toward Damen Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 47B Toward Damen Avenue

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
North Western Avenue	5.5 mi	11m
Stevenson Expressway	3.6 mi	4m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway	2.5 mi	3m
South Damen Avenue	2.4 mi	4m
Kennedy Expressway	2 mi	2m
West Ogden Avenue	1.9 mi	3m
Asbury Avenue	1.5 mi	2m
North Clybourn Avenue	0.7 mi	1m

Longest stretch: North Western Avenue — 5.5 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Summit, IL and Evanston, IL.

Start on IL 171

0.2 mi · 25 sec · South Archer Avenue

Turn right onto Archer Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Archer Avenue

Turn left onto IL 43

0.4 mi · 49 sec · South Harlem Avenue

Use the left lane.

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 59 sec

Toward I 55 North Use the right lane.

Merge onto I 55

2.5 mi · 3 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 55

3.6 mi · 4 min · Stevenson Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec

Exit 290 Toward Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 33 sec

Toward Damen Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

440 ft · 12 sec

Toward Ashland Market Place, South Damen Avenue Use the left lane.

Turn straight onto South Damen Avenue

2.4 mi · 4 min · South Damen Avenue

Turn right onto US 66 Hist

1.9 mi · 3 min · West Ogden Avenue

Use the left lane.

Turn left

0.2 mi · 23 sec

Toward I 90 West, I 94 West Use the left lane.

Merge onto I 90; I 94

2.0 mi · 2 min · Kennedy Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec

Exit 47B Toward Damen Avenue Use the slight right lane.

Turn right onto North Damen Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Damen Avenue

Use the right lane.

Turn slight left onto North Clybourn Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Clybourn Avenue

Turn right onto North Western Avenue

5.5 mi · 11 min · North Western Avenue

Continue on Asbury Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · Asbury Avenue

Turn right onto Dempster Street

213 ft · 9 sec · Dempster Street

Turn uturn

213 ft · 17 sec

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.64 one way

$7.29 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$4.00	$8.00
premium	$4.89	$4.48	$8.97
diesel	$5.61	$5.14	$10.29

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	7	$2.45	$1.12
Efficient EV	5.8	$2.04	$0.93
EV Truck/SUV	9.3	$3.26	$1.49

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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

Summit, IL

Night in Summit on Thursday

Local time

10:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Evanston, IL

Night in Evanston on Thursday

Local time

10:03 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

41m 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 Summit, IL to Evanston, IL covers 23.3 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are North Western Avenue, Stevenson Expressway, Adlai Stevenson Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 11.7 miles from Summit, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.64 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 is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 23.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

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

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Trip from Summit, IL to Evanston, IL

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Who Is This Route For?

Drive Character

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Summit, IL

Evanston, IL

Same local time

Very similar conditions

41m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore More

Continue From Evanston, IL

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