Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a city of 76,340 people in Cook County, Illinois, founded in 1836.
Why visit Evanston
Townapedia lists 85 museums and landmarks, 133 parks and trails, 219 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 15 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AMC Evanston 12, Grosse Point Light, Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum and Frances Willard House.
Weather in Evanston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Evanston
Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Evanston lies on Lake Michigan 12 miles (19 km) north of the Loop. A Chicago suburb, it is bordered by Wilmette to the north, Skokie to the west, Chicago to the south, and the lake to the east. Evanston had a population of 78,110 as of 2020.
From the Wikipedia article Evanston, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do15
Grosse Point Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Lighthouse in Illinois, United States
Grosse Point Lighthouse
Lighthouse · 1.5 mi
The first illumination was provided by a three-wick kerosene lamp, which, on clear nights, could be seen for 17 miles. The entire...
2601 Sheridan Road, Evanston
The ORT Institute
School · 4.1 mi
American vocational training school in Skokie, Illinois, active 1991–2017
The Rock (Northwestern University)
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Boulder on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, United States
Music Institute of Chicago
Cinema and theater · 0.6 mi
1702 Sherman Avenue, Evanston
3 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks85
Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum
Museum · 1.8 mi
Museum in Evanston, Illinois
3001 Central Street, Evanston
Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-15:00
Frances Willard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Evanston, Illinois, United States
1728 Chicago Avenue, Evanston
Anderson–Carlson Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
Andridge Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Apartment building in Evanston, Illinois
Bahá'í House of Worship for the North American Continent
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Bahá'í temple in Wilmette, Illinois, United States
Berger Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Park in Chicago
Building at 1101–1113 Maple Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building in Evanston, Illinois, USA
Building at 1209–1217 Maple Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building in Evanston, Illinois, USA
Building at 1301–1303 Judson Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic building in Evanston, Illinois, United States
Building at 1305–1307 Judson Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic building in Evanston, Illinois, United States
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Building at 1316 Maple Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic apartment building in Evanston, Illinois
Building at 1401–1407 Elmwood Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic building in Evanston, Illinois, USA
73 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds133
Mahoney Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Park in Kenilworth, United States of America
121 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes219
Beit Shawarma
Restaurant · Arab, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern · 0.7 mi
1601 Simpson Street, Evanston
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00
CM Chicken
Restaurant · Chicken, Korean · 0.5 mi
1009 Davis Street
Mo-Th,Su 11:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 0.6 mi
1765 Maple Avenue, Evanston
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Frida's Breakfast and Lunch
Restaurant · Breakfast, Mexican · 0.7 mi
618 Church Street, Evanston
Mo-Su 08:00-15:00
Jarasa Kabob
Restaurant · Kebab, Middle Eastern · 1.4 mi
3641 Dempster Street, Skokie
Mo-Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
207 more on the map.
History
Prior to the 1830s, the area now occupied by Evanston was mainly uninhabited, consisting largely of wetlands and swampy forest. However, Potawatomi Native Americans used trails along higher lying ridges that ran in a general north–south direction through the area, and had at least some semi-permanent settlements along the trails.
French explorers referred to the general area as "Grosse Pointe" after a point of land jutting into Lake Michigan about 13 miles (21 km) north of the mouth of the Chicago River. After the first non-Native Americans settled in the area in 1836, the names "Grosse Point Territory" and "Gross Point voting district" were used through the 1830s and 1840s, although the territory had no defined boundaries. The area remained only sparsely settled, supporting some farming and lumber activity on some of the higher ground, as well as a number of taverns or "hotels" along the ridge roads. Grosse Pointe itself steadily eroded into the lake during this period.
From the History section of Evanston, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship76
Saint Nicholas Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
810 Ridge Avenue, Evanston
Baháʼí House of Worship for North America
Place of worship · 2.0 mi
100 Linden Avenue, Wilmette
Evanston Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 0.4 mi
1825 Dodge Avenue, Evanston
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation
Place of worship · Reconstructionist · 1.6 mi
303 Dodge Avenue, Evanston
Shopping44
Gas and EV charging20
Schools, colleges and libraries81
Healthcare22
Map of Evanston
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cook County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2023-11-20: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Des Plaines 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Elmwood Park 11 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Deerfield 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Chicago 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Cicero 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Bensenville 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- Berwyn 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Arlington Heights 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Bellwood 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Elk Grove Village 16 mi west, about 25 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Fountain Square Evanston, Madcoverboy ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Evanston Il, Anthony Fomin, CC0
- Evanston, United States (Unsplash), Alia Wilhelm alia_wilhelm, CC0
- HABS ILL,16-EVAN,1- (sheet 0 of 1) - Shadrach Bond Mantel, 929 Sheridan Road (moved from Kaskaskia, IL), Evanston, Cook County, IL, Unknown author, Public domain
- HABS ILL,16-EVAN,1- (sheet 1 of 1) - Shadrach Bond Mantel, 929 Sheridan Road (moved from Kaskaskia, IL), Evanston, Cook County, IL, Unknown author, Public domain
- Adam Perry Park, Evanston, IL, Nick Number, CC BY 4.0
- 20130818 23 Bicycle Lane, Evanston, Illinois, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20130818 19 Evanston, Illinois, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Former Borders Books in Evanston, Illinois (50862033787), Ben Schumin from Montgomery Village, Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Vintage Vinyl, Evanston, IL, Nick Number, CC BY 4.0
- 20220816 13 Metra @ Davis St. Evanston, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Evanston, IL, Nick Number, CC BY 4.0
- Dwight H. Perkins House, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Building at 999 Michigan, 200 Lee 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RidgeBoulevardAptsEvanstonIL, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Forest and Annex 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anderson-Carlson Building, Zol87, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Emil Bach House, JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Wilmette Historical Society (Gross Point Village Hall), Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Shore Apartments 4, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rozek, Theodore House 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Evanston Towers 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 1301-1303 Judson 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Judson, The 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ridgewood 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 417-419 Lee 6, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colonnade Court 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tudor Manor 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fountain Plaza Apartments 7, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hillcrest Apartments 4, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 1316 Maple Avenue (7345695432), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Chicago, Illinois Gauler Twin Houses 1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rogers Park Manor Bungalow Historic Ditrict 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 548-606 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ridge Manor 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 813-815 Forest 4, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 1305-1307 Judson 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Michigan-Lee Apartments 4, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 1106SewardEvanstonIL, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Melwood Apartments 3, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
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