Getting Around Wilmette
Wilmette is fortunate to have excellent public transportation available. The Village is served by Metra Railroad service, CTA rapid transit service, and Pace bus service as well as having easy access to the Edens Expressway. For additional information on available transportation in Wilmette please visit the following web sites:
The daily parking fee is $2.60 at the Metra Berman Parking Lot and $2.10 at the Poplar Avenue Lots. There is a limited number of scooter/motorcycle parking spots located along the train tracks at the corner of Green Bay Road and Central Avenue; the daily parking fee for these spots is $1.00. Parking is free on weekdays after 3:00 p.m. and all day on Saturday and Sunday; however, parking between 2:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m. is prohibited 7 days a week. Click here for more information on mobile payment options.
CTA Service
CTA Parking Rate – $4.00 / All Day.
The Village of Wilmette is the second suburb north of downtown Chicago located approximately 16 miles away. The Village extends five miles west from Lake Michigan and is approximately one mile wide. Its municipal neighbors include Evanston and Skokie, Glenview to the west and Kenilworth and Northfield to the north.
Click here for a map of Wilmette.
Village Center Parking
You’ll find plenty of convenient parking in Village Center. The Village provides parking for residents, shoppers, and commuters. Below are links to maps where you can find specific locations of available parking.
On-Street Parking
- All on-street parking in the Village Center is free.
- Times are posted and range from 1-3 hours during the day.
- On-street parking is unrestricted between the hours of 6 pm – 2 am.
- Overnight parking (2 am – 4 am) is prohibited.
Village Center Parking Lots
- The Village Center has 5 off-street parking lots. Google Parking Map.
- All are free and open the public and range in time from 90 minutes to 4 hours.
- Some parking lots contain permit parking spaces so be sure to check the signs to make sure you are not parking in a restricted spot. These permit parking spaces are designed for employee and resident parking spaces.
Click here for Village Parking Permit information.
Getting to Wilmette
The Village of Wilmette is located directly off of the Edens Expressway (I-94). If you are coming from the north, exit I-94 at Skokie Boulevard and you are in Wilmette! Once you have exited the highway, you will find one of the Village’s major shopping centers, Edens Plaza, on your righthand side. To get to downtown Wilmette, simply turn left at the second stop light at Lake Avenue and take Lake Avenue to Green Bay Road.
If you are coming from the south, you can exit I-94 at Lake Avenue East or Lake Avenue West. Exiting on Lake Avenue East, you will find Edens Plaza on your left and can continue to downtown Wilmette by continuing on Lake Avenue to Green Bay Road. Click here for detailed directions.
By Train
Wilmette is served by two train systems:
- The CTA Purple Line ends at Linden Avenue in Wilmette. The purple line goes south into Evanston and into the northern limits of Chicago.
- Metra’s Union Pacific North Line (UP-N) stops right in Wilmette’s downtown at 722 Green Bay Avenue. The Union Pacific North Line runs from Kenosha, Wisconsin to downtown Chicago.
This webpage was updated on 2/18/21.