Transportation

Cars parked in commuter lot in Northbrook

Driving

Driving Distance and Time

  • Downtown Chicago - 25 miles/40 minutes
  • Midway Airport - 33 miles/55 minutes
  • O'Hare Airport - 17 miles/25 minutes

Highway Access

  • Edens Expressway (I-94)
  • Federal Highway 41
  • State Highway 43 and 68
  • Tri-State Tollway (I-294)

Metra

The Milwaukee District North (MD-N) Line travels to and from Chicago with 25+ daily trips from Northbrook. Check the train schedule and stay up-to-date on service advisories for the Northbrook Station on Metra's website.

Commuter Parking

The commuter parking lots are open 24 hours a day. The daily parking fee is $1, except on weekends, federal holidays or weekdays after 10 a.m. at which time there is no fee. The "day" begins at midnight; any vehicles parked between midnight and 10 a.m. on a weekday that have not paid the parking fee may receive a ticket. 

Parking meters accept cash, coins, or credit card and provide a receipt - simply enter your parking stall number to pay. ParkMobile is also any option for payment. Register online then pay with the phone app, by logging into your account or calling 877-727-5004. Use your stall number and zone number 951. There is a $0.37 convenience fee charged by provider on all pay-by-cell transactions.

Parking spot numbers 135-528 and 586-736 are reserved for vehicles with valid Northbrook vehicle stickers. All other spots are unrestricted and available to both residents and non-residents.

Use the parking restrictions map to view parking restrictions around the Metra Station.

Pace Programs

Various Pace Bus routes travel through Northbrook. In addition, Pace’s free rideshare program helps identify one or more people who you may be able to join your carpool. Pace's vanpool program allows groups of 5 to 13 to share a Pace van to ride to work. Participants pay a monthly fee determined by the size of the group and the distance traveled.

Reduced Fare Cards

Seniors, persons with disabilities and disabled veterans are all eligible for the Regional Transportation Authority's (RTA's) reduced far program, which allows someone to ride Metra, Pace, and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) fixed-route services at a reduced price. For more information, contact 312-913-3110 or visit RTA's Reduced Fare Program.

Airports

Northbrook is conveniently located 17 miles from O'Hare International Airport, 33 miles to Midway Airport (MDW), and just five minutes from the Chicago Executive Airport. Other major regional airports within driving distance include Chicago Midway International Airport, Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport, and Waukegan National Airport.

Proposed Amtrak Hiawatha Line Improvements

As part of a larger project to increase the daily number of round trips between Chicago and Milwaukee from seven to ten, Amtrak, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) released a draft environmental assessment (EA) for the project on Thursday, October 6, 2016. This assessment includes discussion of the increase service and the new infrastructure needed to support the increase, including the construction of a "holding track" along the rail located at A-20 (south of Techny Road and north of West Lake Avenue in Glenview). The staff presentation summarizing the draft EA can be found here.

On Tuesday, November 15, 2016, the Village Board approved Resolution 2016-137, which expressed concern over the design alternatives proposed in the draft EA and requested a more comprehensive environmental assessment.