Evanston, IL Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Dispensary-to-dispensary
- 1,500 feet minimum
- Dispensary-to-school
- 500 feet minimum
- Measured from
- Nearest property lines
- Applies to
- Elementary, middle, high schools
Summary
Cannabis dispensaries must sit at least 1,500 feet from any other dispensary and 500 feet from an existing school, measured lot line to lot line under Evanston's zoning code.
Any cannabis dispensary shall not be located within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of another cannabis dispensary or five hundred (500) feet of a pre-existing public or private educational institution that is an elementary, middle, or high school, as measured from lot line to lot line.(C)Distance Requirement Measurement: The distance requirement shall be measured from the nearest property lines of each property the cannabis dispensary is located on.(D)Hours of Operation: Cannabis Dispensaries shall only be permitted to operate between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., unless further regulated as a condition of special use approval, seven (7) days out of the week. (Ord. No. 126-O-19, § 2, 10-28-2019; Ord. No. 23-O-20, § 1, 2-24-2020; Ord. No. 25-O-24, § 2, 2-26-2024)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
This buffer applies specifically to cannabis dispensaries under Section 6-4-11-3(B) of Evanston's zoning code, not to cultivation centers, infusers, processors, craft growers, or transporters, which each carry their own separate distance rules under later subsections of Section 6-4-11. The 1,500-foot dispensary-to-dispensary spacing and 500-foot school buffer are measured from the nearest property line of the dispensary parcel to the nearest property line of the other use, and both are conditions of the Special Use approval a dispensary must obtain before opening.
Violations & Fines
Operating within a prohibited buffer voids the dispensary's special-use approval and certificate of zoning compliance; violations carry Evanston's general fine of $20 to $750 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the 500-foot school buffer measured?
Do the buffer distances apply to cultivation centers too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evanston
Compare Evanston to another location·View the Illinois cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle buffer zones.