In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Base here 1–2 nights for Northwestern's lakefront campus and the Grosse Point lighthouse; skip it as a Chicago base — the Purple Line is 45–55 min to the Loop.
Evanston is a college town on Lake Michigan's North Shore, 21 km north of downtown Chicago and the first stop on the CTA Purple Line. It works as a half-day or one-night add-on to a Chicago trip: a walkable downtown at Davis Street, Northwestern University's campus and lagoon, the 1873 Grosse Point Lighthouse, and a small but solid restaurant strip. Two nights is plenty; most visitors see it as a day trip and sleep in Chicago.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Evanston, Illinois
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, lake wind), late Nov–Dec holidays
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Sandwich or deli lunch | $8–15 |
| Pizza slice | $5–8 |
| Dinner main, mid-range restaurant | $18–35 |
| Draft beer or glass of wine | $7–14 |
| CTA single ride | $2.50–3 |
| Museum entry (Mitchell Museum) | $5 adults, $2.50 children/students/seniors |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ORD · Chicago O'Hare International
- Pace Pulse Dempster line runs from the Kiss-and-Fly to Evanston Davis Street; CTA Blue Line plus Red/Purple transfer is the slower rail option. Check current schedules.
- MDW · Chicago Midway
- Usually cheaper; CTA Orange Line to the Loop, then Red Line north to Howard, then Purple Line. About 1 h 30 min–2 h door to door.
Typical fares
- CTA Purple Line, Evanston to the Loop
- $2.50–3, 45–60 min
- Metra UP-N, Davis Street to Ogilvie
- about $6 one way, 25–35 min
- Taxi or rideshare, O'Hare to Evanston
- $45–70, 30–50 min depending on traffic
Get around
The CTA Purple Line stops at South Blvd, Main, Dempster, Davis, Foster, Noyes and Central, then continues to Wilmette. Metra UP-N also stops at Main, Davis and Central. CTA and Pace buses meet at Davis. Downtown is walkable and the city is bike-friendly; a car is only useful for outlying suburbs.
See and do
Known for
- Northwestern University
- Grosse Point Lighthouse
- Lake Michigan beaches
- Davis Street dining and shopping
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Loop | CTA Purple Line Express (weekday rush hours) or Red Line to Howard then Purple Line | 45–60 min |
| Wilmette and the Baha'i Temple | CTA Purple Line to its Wilmette terminus, then a walk | 20–30 min |
| Skokie | CTA 97 Skokie bus or Pace routes from Davis | 25–40 min |
| Glenview | Metra UP-N north from Davis or Central | 20–30 min |
| Lake Forest | Metra UP-N north from Davis | 40–50 min |
| Highland Park | Metra UP-N north from Davis | 35–45 min |
Sleep
- Downtown Evanston (Davis Street)
- CTA Purple and Metra UP-N at Davis; hotels, restaurants and shops on foot. Best for a short stay without a car.
- Main Street / South Evanston
- Quieter, cheaper, Purple Line and Metra at Main; a few blocks to the lakefront.
- Central Street (north)
- Closest to Grosse Point Lighthouse and the Central Street shops; Purple Line and Metra at Central.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the station? | Where is the station? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Evanston has long restricted bars and late drinking; expect cafés rather than a nightlife strip.
- Street meters near downtown are typically 2-hour limit — check the sign before leaving the car.
- Beach swimming is seasonal and lifeguarded only in summer; check the city lakefront page before you go in.
- Purple Line Express runs only at weekday rush hours; at other times take the Red Line to Howard and change.
Evanston is a low-risk US suburb; the real issues are winter cold and lake wind, unlit lakefront paths after dark, and leaving valuables visible in a parked car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Evanston yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Northwestern University
- Grosse Point Lighthouse
- Lake Michigan beaches
- Davis Street dining and shopping
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Evanston — lakefront and beaches: www.cityofevanston.org/government/departments/parks-recreation-community-services/lakefront-and-beaches
- Metra — Union Pacific North line: ridertools.metrarail.com/maps-schedules/train-lines/UP-N
- CTA — Purple Line: www.transitchicago.com/purpleline/
- Pace — Pulse Dempster line: www.pacebus.com/
- Wikivoyage: Evanston, revision 5322789 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322789
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
EvanstonEvanston, Illinois
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Evanston; consulates-general are in downtown Chicago. Check your country's Chicago consulate for hours and appointments.
US tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/evanston). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.