Origin
Danville, IN
Afternoon in Danville on Friday
Local time
12:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Danville, IN to Indianapolis, IN
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
21.8 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Danville, IN
Zetong Li
Trip Overview
This short, 21.8-mile journey from Danville to Indianapolis, Indiana, is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 38 minutes. You'll navigate through the heart of the Midwest, staying within Indiana for the entire drive. The route is characterized by its frequent turns, suggesting a local, rather than high-speed, travel experience. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, this trip is very budget-friendly. There are no designated stops on this route, making it a straightforward point-to-point drive.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 21.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 21.8-mile stretch, with zero highway share. You'll primarily be on Rockville Road, Dwight D Eisenhower Highway, and West Main Street. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 15.1 miles on Rockville Road. This profile indicates a drive that requires your attention to navigation and local road conditions rather than a monotonous highway cruise. The road's personality will likely shift as you transition through different local areas.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Rockville Road is the longest continuous segment at about 15.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 17.3 miles in near I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 21.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 17.3 miles (I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
17.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
20.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Illinois Street, Meridian Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 79B
Toward Illinois Street, Meridian Street
8
20.5 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Illinois Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward Illinois Street
6
21.1 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
West South Street
Turn right onto West South Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
21.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
South Meridian Street
Turn left onto South Meridian Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Rockville Road | 15.1 mi | 24m |
| Dwight D Eisenhower Highway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| West Main Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Holt Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Meridian Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South Illinois Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West South Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Monument Circle | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Rockville Road
— 15.1 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Danville, IN and Indianapolis, IN.
1
Start on this road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto SR 39
60 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Cross Street
3
Turn right onto US 36
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West Main Street
4
Continue on US 36
15 mi
·
24 min
·
Rockville Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto South Holt Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Holt Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 70 East
7
Merge onto I 70
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 79B
Toward Illinois Street, Meridian Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward Illinois Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Continue on South Illinois Street
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
South Illinois Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Turn right onto West South Street
511 ft
·
25 sec
·
West South Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto South Meridian Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Meridian Street
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto Monument Circle
365 ft
·
42 sec
·
Monument Circle
14
Turn right
76 ft
·
6 sec
15
At end of road, turn right
257 ft
·
28 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.41 one way
$6.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.74 | $7.48 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.20 | $8.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.81 | $9.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.29 | $1.05 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.91 | $0.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.05 | $1.40 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Indianapolis, IN
Afternoon in Indianapolis on Friday
Local time
12:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Danville, IN to Indianapolis, IN covers 21.8 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Rockville Road, Dwight D Eisenhower Highway, West Main Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.9 miles from Danville, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.41 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 21.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 17.3 miles (I 70 / Dwight D Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Danville, IN to Indianapolis, IN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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