Evanston
Northwestern, the lakefront and a downtown on the L.
Fountain Square, downtown Evanston · Madcoverboy, CC BY-SA 3.0
To the Loop
12mi
Straight-line miles from downtown Evanston.
Metra
3 stations in town.
County
Cook
About 7.8 square miles.
ASG here
0
Homes we list here now.
Living here
Life in Evanston.
Evanston is the first city north of Chicago along the lake, and home to Northwestern University, whose campus runs along the lake. Downtown centers on Fountain Square and the Davis Street stations, with shops, restaurants and offices, and Main Street, Central Street and Dempster Street each have business districts of their own.
A chain of public beaches and lakefront parks runs from the Chicago line to the Grosse Point Lighthouse, and the North Shore Channel Trail follows the canal on the west side.
Near the lakeRestaurantsArts and cultureLocal shopping streetsHistoric architectureEasy without a carTrails and biking
The homes
What you'll find.
Victorian and Prairie style houses on the tree-lined streets near the lake, vintage courtyard apartment buildings and two-flats, brick bungalows in the west and north, and mid- and high-rise condos downtown.
Single-family homesVintage condosTwo-flatsDowntown high-rises
Getting around
How far is everything?
Metra stops at Main Street, Davis Street and Central Street stations on the Union Pacific North (UP-N) line, toward downtown Chicago. The CTA Purple Line runs the length of the city, with stops at South Boulevard, Main, Dempster, Davis, Foster, Noyes and Central, and express trains to the Loop on weekdays. Sheridan Road, Chicago Avenue and Green Bay Road are the main streets; no expressway enters the city.
Straight-line miles. Tap one to draw it on the map. No train times; check Metra for schedules.
Places to know
Start here.
- LandmarksNorthwestern UniversityThe lakefront campus, from its Gothic halls to the lakefill along the shore.
- LandmarksGrosse Point LighthouseAn 1873 lighthouse on the bluff at the north end of town.
- Lake and riverLighthouse BeachThe sand beach below the lighthouse.
- Arts and cultureMary and Leigh Block Museum of ArtNorthwestern's art museum, free to visit.
- Arts and cultureEvanston History CenterIn the Charles Gates Dawes House, an 1890s mansion on Greenwood Street.
- ShoppingMain-Dempster MileIndependent shops and restaurants along Main Street, Chicago Avenue and Dempster Street.
For sale now
On the market in Evanston.
Live from MRED through our home search. ASG listings open their own page; the rest open in our home search. Sources
In the news
What's being built and sold.
- Crain's Chicago Business · Oct 12, 2026Reinsdorf-backed firm sells Evanston apartments for $32 millionRead at Crain's Chicago Business
- Yield PRO · Oct 9, 2026Draper and Kramer Acquires 268-Unit Class A Apartment Community in Evanston IllinoisRead at Yield PRO
- Patch · Oct 9, 2026Evanston Apartment Tower Sold, Rebranded as Eva Under New OwnershipRead at Patch
- Patch · Sep 15, 2026Downtown Evanston Apartment Complex Pending Sale Could Set Local Benchmark: ReportRead at Patch
Recent real estate headlines from Google News, linked to the outlets that published them. Sources
Nearby
Around Evanston.
Questions
Good to know.
What is Evanston known for?
Evanston is the first city north of Chicago along the lake, and home to Northwestern University, whose campus runs along the lake. Downtown centers on Fountain Square and the Davis Street stations, with shops, restaurants and offices, and Main Street, Central Street and Dempster Street each have business districts of their own.
What kind of homes are in Evanston?
Victorian and Prairie style houses on the tree-lined streets near the lake, vintage courtyard apartment buildings and two-flats, brick bungalows in the west and north, and mid- and high-rise condos downtown.
How do you get to Chicago from Evanston?
Evanston is about 12 miles from the Loop as the crow flies. Metra stops at Main Street, Davis Street and Central Street stations on the Union Pacific North (UP-N) line, toward downtown Chicago. The CTA Purple Line runs the length of the city, with stops at South Boulevard, Main, Dempster, Davis, Foster, Noyes and Central, and express trains to the Loop on weekdays. Sheridan Road, Chicago Avenue and Green Bay Road are the main streets; no expressway enters the city.
Which school districts serve Evanston?
Most of Evanston is served by Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School District 202. District lines do not always follow town lines, so check the district for any address. We do not rank schools; the Illinois Report Card has each school's own data, and we're happy to look one up with you. Open the Report Card.
What towns are near Evanston?
The closest towns with our guides are Wilmette, Kenilworth, Skokie and Winnetka.
Looking in Evanston?
Let us show you around.
Our agents know Evanston street by street. Tell us what you're after and we'll line up the homes, on the market and off it.
Sources
Written by our team from public sources. Places change; call ahead.
- Homes for sale
- Live MRED listings, distributed by MLS GRID.
- News
- Google News, linked to each outlet.
- Boundaries
- U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb
- Metra
- Metra. Distances are straight-line.
- Schools
- We don't rank schools: Illinois Report Card
Photo credits 5
- Fountain Square, downtown Evanston Madcoverboy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bahá'í House of Worship, Wilmette Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kenilworth Club (Kenilworth Assembly Hall) Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park Brandon Olafsson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Winnetka Community House, Lincoln Avenue Zol87, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, under the licenses shown.
Listings are deemed reliable but not guaranteed. We describe places, homes and transit, not the people who live there.