Chicago to Evanston by Bike: Routes, Trail Options and the Ride Home

Evanston, home of Northwestern University³, is the natural day trip north, and two routes reach it. Pick the lake or the canal. For more routes, see Routes & Trails.

Route A: Lakefront Trail and Rogers Park

The Lakefront Trail runs from Ardmore Avenue on the north to 71st Street on the south². At its north end it sits at 5800 North on the city grid⁸. From Ardmore you leave the trail and ride the streets.

Streetsblog Chicago laid out the two basic options in 2018³:

• The signed route. A mellow but circuitous route runs from the trail’s northern end at Ardmore via Kenmore, Devon, Glenwood, Arthur, Greenview, Pratt, Ashland and Rogers³. Northbound it drops you onto busy Sheridan Road, where you must ride around the east side of Calvary Cemetery, best done via the lakeside sidewalk³.
• The direct route. Take Ardmore, Kenmore and Glenwood to Clark Street, then ride Clark north to the west side of the cemetery, where a bike lane begins³. Clark in Rogers Park is bikeable but hectic, a two-lane street³.

In 2018 the city planned the Rogers Park Greenway to extend the Glenwood Greenway and give riders a low-stress way into Evanston³. The plan followed Glenwood north to Pratt, then Farwell and Greenview to Howard, and on to Clark at the Evanston line³.

Route B: North Shore Channel Trail

The North Shore Channel Trail is a paved path of 6.7 miles from River Park in Lincoln Square to Evanston¹. It follows the North Shore Channel, a canal built between 1907 and 1910⁷. The channel flows through or near Wilmette, Evanston, Skokie and Lincolnwood⁷.

The trail winds through the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park, with over 60 works of art¹. You can continue 2 miles beyond the trail’s northern end to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette¹. For more north-side trails, see the North Branch Trail guide.

Getting around Evanston

Evanston has bike routes and lanes, and the city publishes a bike map⁴. Many transit stops and shopping areas have bike racks⁴. Covered parking is at 1800 Maple Self Park and Sherman Plaza Self Park⁴. Lock to something permanently fixed with a high-quality U-lock or chain⁴.

Divvy reached Evanston in June 2016, and the city now has 14 stations and 140 bikes⁴. The Evanston Police Department offers free online bicycle registration⁴.

The ride home by train

Ride one way and take the train back. Know the rules.

System	Rule
CTA trains	Bikes allowed weekdays except 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm5
CTA, weekends	All day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, excluding July 45
CTA Purple Line	Up to 2 bicycles per railcar, except weekday rush periods6
CTA buses	Two bikes on the front rack4
Metra	Bikes allowed4

If you board before a restricted period and your trip runs into it, the CTA lets you finish your trip⁵. When trains are crowded, cyclists may be restricted⁵. For the full rules, read bikes on CTA trains and bikes on Metra.