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Trip from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

3h 41m

Distance

196.9 mi

317 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$31

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 37 min
4 AM
3h 29m ★
6 AM
3h 41m
8 AM
4h 6m
10 AM
3h 50m
12 PM
3h 47m
3 PM
3h 51m
5 PM
4h 5m
8 PM
3h 34m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Crothersville, IN, IN

Crothersville, IN

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN covers 196.9 miles and takes about 3h 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East Washington Center Road, Lima Road, I 69 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $30.78 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

98.4 miles from Fort Wayne, IN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 50m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 41m. Total distance: 196.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

3h 41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 3h 41m drive with frequent turns across 196.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Washington Center Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN is easy. At 3h 41m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Washington Center Road
Lima Road
I 69 South
I 465 South
Emerson Avenue
South Emerson Avenue
East Southport Road
SR 250

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: East Washington Center Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fort Wayne, IN and Crothersville, IN.

1

Start on Dartmouth Drive

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Dartmouth Drive
2

Turn left onto East Washington Center Road

1.6 mi · 2 min · East Washington Center Road
3

Turn left onto Lima Road

377 ft · 15 sec · Lima Road
4

Take the exit slight right toward I 69 South, US 24 West, US 30 West: Indianapolis

0.3 mi · 36 sec · I 69 South, US 24 West, US 30 West: Indianapolis
5

Merge slight left

8.4 mi · 9 min
6

Continue straight

76 mi · 1 hr 21 min
7

Continue straight

24 mi · 26 min
8

Keep slight right

1.0 mi · 1 min
9

Continue on I 465 South, I 69 South

15 mi · 18 min · I 465 South, I 69 South
10

Take the exit slight right toward Emerson Avenue

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Emerson Avenue
11

Keep slight left

0.2 mi · 28 sec
12

Turn straight onto South Emerson Avenue

2.6 mi · 4 min · South Emerson Avenue
13

Turn right onto East Southport Road

0.5 mi · 53 sec · East Southport Road
14

Take the ramp left

0.3 mi · 43 sec
15

Merge slight left

62 mi · 1 hr 6 min
16

Take the exit slight right toward SR 250: Uniontown, Crothersville

0.2 mi · 25 sec · SR 250: Uniontown, Crothersville
17

Turn right

0.3 mi · 39 sec
18

Turn left

3.3 mi · 4 min
19

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 98.4 miles from Fort Wayne, IN, or about 1h 50m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 43 miles or 48m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 98.4 miles or 1h 50m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 1m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Crothersville, IN than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Fort Wayne, IN so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Fort Wayne, IN

This is one driving day of about 196.9 miles and 3h 41m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 43 miles from Fort Wayne, IN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 98.4 mi from Fort Wayne, IN · 1h 50m into the drive

city in Marion County, Indiana, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lawrence, IN

98 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Sweetser, IN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lawrence, IN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 98.4 miles from Fort Wayne, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Crothersville, IN

The final approach into Crothersville, IN usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Crothersville, IN.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$30.78 one way

$61.57 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 69 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $33.80 $67.60
premium $4.89 $37.89 $75.78
diesel $5.61 $43.47 $86.95

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$31

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$56–$81

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 68.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 59.1 0 $20.67 $9.45
Efficient EV 49.2 0 $17.23 $7.88
EV Truck/SUV 78.8 0 $27.57 $12.60

Gas CO2

69 kg

EV CO2

23 kg (67% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Fort Wayne, IN

Morning in Fort Wayne on Saturday

Local time

10:20 AM

EDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Crothersville, IN

Morning in Crothersville on Saturday

Local time

10:20 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

73°F

Lawrence, IN

98 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

17 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

3h 41m 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 Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN covers 196.9 miles and takes about 3h 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are East Washington Center Road, Lima Road, I 69 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 98.4 miles from Fort Wayne, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $30.78 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

The drive from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN is easy. At 3h 41m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, IN is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Fort Wayne, IN to Crothersville, 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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Explore More

Return Trip

Crothersville, IN to Fort Wayne, IN

Plan the drive back the other way.

196.3 mi 3h 40m

Explore more options from Fort Wayne, IN or browse trips ending in Crothersville, IN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IN road trips.