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 (entrance/exit at Lake Ave.).
Metra UP North
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.
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. To use the Mobile Payment option, download the Passport Parking App and use ZONE77.
CTA Purple Line
The CTA ends at Linden Avenue in Wilmette. The purple line goes south into Evanston and into the northern limits of Chicago.
The parking rate at the CTA lot is $4.00 per day.
Pace Bus Service
Pace Bus offers four routes in Wilmette:
- Route 213 – Green Bay Rd
- Route 421 – Wilmette Ave
- Route 422 – Linden CTA, Glenview, Northbrook Ct
- Route 423 – Linden CTA, The Glen, Harlem CTA
Village Center Parking
You’ll find plenty of convenient parking in Village Center. The Village provides parking for residents, shoppers, and commuters.
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. Learn more here: 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.