Origin
Gary, IN
Afternoon in Gary on Thursday
Local time
1:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gary, IN to Burns Harbor, IN
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
26m
Distance
13.2 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gary, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Burns Harbor, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 13.2-mile drive from Gary, IN to Burns Harbor, IN will take about 26 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll navigate primarily local roads like East Dunes Highway, West 5th Avenue, and Melton Road, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost is a budget-friendly $2. Given the minimal distance and quick travel time, this route offers a lot of flexibility for when you decide to depart or make stops along the way. It's a straightforward local journey within the Midwest region.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 13.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, as indicated by its profile. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the entire 13.2 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.9 miles on East Dunes Highway. This suggests a journey with frequent intersections and potentially varying speed limits as you move through local areas rather than long, open highway stretches.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Dunes Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Harrison Boulevard.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Harrison Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 12; US 20 / West 5th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.7 miles (North Loop Drive): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Harrison Boulevard
Turn right onto Harrison Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 12; US 20 / West 5th Avenue
Turn right onto US 12; US 20 / West 5th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
11.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
North Loop Drive
Turn right onto North Loop Drive
Navigation decision point
4
11.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
South Boundary Road
Turn left onto South Boundary Road
Navigation decision point
5
12.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
R Street
Turn right onto R Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Dunes Highway | 5.9 mi | 8m |
| West 5th Avenue | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Melton Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Harrison Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Boundary Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| W Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| George Nelson Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| R Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
East Dunes Highway
— 5.9 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gary, IN and Burns Harbor, IN.
1
Start on 10th Place
254 ft
·
15 sec
·
10th Place
2
Turn right onto Harrison Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Harrison Boulevard
3
Continue on Harrison Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Harrison Street
4
Turn right onto US 12; US 20
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
West 5th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 12; US 20
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Melton Road
6
Turn left onto US 12
5.9 mi
·
8 min
·
East Dunes Highway
7
Turn slight right
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
8
Continue on George Nelson Drive
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
George Nelson Drive
9
Turn right onto North Loop Drive
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
North Loop Drive
10
Turn left onto South Boundary Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Boundary Road
11
Continue on W Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
W Street
12
Turn left onto 10th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
10th Street
13
Turn right onto R Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
R Street
14
Arrive at destination
R Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.06 one way
$4.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.27 | $4.53 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.91 | $5.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Burns Harbor, IN
Afternoon in Burns Harbor on Thursday
Local time
1:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
63°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
1 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
26m 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 Gary, IN to Burns Harbor, IN covers 13.2 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Dunes Highway, West 5th Avenue, Melton Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.6 miles from Gary, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.06 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 straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Harrison Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 12; US 20 / West 5th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.7 miles (North Loop Drive): Navigation decision point.
The route from Gary, IN to Burns Harbor, IN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Indiana Dunes National Park.
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