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Trip from Lawrence, IN to Portage, IN

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

3h 2m

Distance

158.8 mi

256 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$25

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 34 min
4 AM
2h 51m ★
6 AM
3h 2m
8 AM
3h 25m
10 AM
3h 10m
12 PM
3h 8m
3 PM
3h 11m
5 PM
3h 24m
8 PM
2h 55m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Marion County, Indiana, United States

Lawrence, IN

Wikimedia Commons

city in Porter County, Indiana, United States

Portage, IN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lawrence, IN to Portage, IN covers 158.8 miles and takes about 3h 2m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 65, I 465, Central Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 129.8 miles on I 65. At current regular gas prices, budget about $24.83 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

79.4 miles from Lawrence, IN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 29m into the drive .

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Drive Character

This is a 3h 2m highway drive covering 158.8 miles, with most of the trip on I 65 and I 465. The longest continuous stretch is about 129.8 miles on I 65.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 65 is the longest continuous segment at about 129.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 65 and I 465. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near McCoy Street.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 158.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (McCoy Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.8 miles (I 865): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | McCoy Street

Turn right onto McCoy Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 465 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 465 North
6
16.8 mi into trip | ~20m in | I 865

Keep slight left at fork onto I 865 toward I 865 West: Chicago

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 25 Toward I 865 West: Chicago
8
151.9 mi into trip | ~2h 48m in

Take the exit toward I 80 East, I 94 East, US 6 East: Toledo, Detroit

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 259B Toward I 80 East, I 94 East, US 6 East: Toledo,...
8
152.8 mi into trip | ~2h 49m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Central Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 13 Toward Central Avenue

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 65 129.8 mi 2h 21m
I 465 11.1 mi 12m
Central Avenue 5.7 mi 11m
I 865 5 mi 5m
I 69 3.8 mi 4m
I-465 WB 0.8 mi <1m
Pendleton Pike 0.6 mi 1m
US 52 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 65 — 129.8 mi, about 2h 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lawrence, IN and Portage, IN.

1

Start on this road

122 ft · 10 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto McCoy Street

492 ft · 16 sec · McCoy Street
3

Turn right onto US 36; SR 67

0.6 mi · 1 min · Pendleton Pike
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 465 North Use the right lane.
5

Merge onto I 69; I 465

3.8 mi · 4 min · I 69; I 465
6

Keep slight left at fork onto I 465

0.3 mi · 19 sec · I 465
7

Continue on I-465 WB

0.8 mi · 56 sec · I-465 WB
8

Continue on I 465

11 mi · 12 min · I 465
Use the straight lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 865

5.0 mi · 5 min · I 865
Exit 25 Toward I 865 West: Chicago
10

Merge onto I 65; US 52

12 mi · 13 min · I 65; US 52
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit onto US 52

0.2 mi · 15 sec · US 52
Exit 141 Toward US 52 West
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 9 sec
13

Merge onto I 65

118 mi · 2 hr 8 min · I 65
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.9 mi · 1 min
Exit 259B Toward I 80 East, I 94 East, US 6 East: Toledo, Detroit Use the slight right lane.
15

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Exit 13 Toward Central Avenue Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn right onto Central Avenue

4.3 mi · 8 min · Central Avenue
17

Continue on Central Avenue

1.4 mi · 3 min · Central Avenue
18

Arrive at destination

Central Avenue

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 79.4 miles from Lawrence, IN, or about 1h 29m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 129.8 miles.

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 80 miles or 1h 29m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 79.4 miles or 1h 29m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 24m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, IN

This is one driving day of about 158.8 miles and 3h 2m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Lawrence, 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.
The longest stretch is on I 65 for about 129.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 79.4 mi from Lawrence, IN · 1h 29m into the drive

Downtown Orland Park, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Orland Park, IL

79 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

Orland Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Orland Park, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 79.4 miles from Lawrence, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 65 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 129.8 miles.

Arriving in Portage, IN

The final approach into Portage, 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 Portage, IN.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$24.83 one way

$49.65 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 56 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $27.26 $54.52
premium $4.89 $30.56 $61.12
diesel $5.61 $35.06 $70.12

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$25

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$50–$75

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 55.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 47.6 0 $16.67 $7.62
Efficient EV 39.7 0 $13.90 $6.35
EV Truck/SUV 63.5 0 $22.23 $10.16

Gas CO2

56 kg

EV CO2

19 kg (66% 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 data refreshed 16 hours ago

Origin

Lawrence, IN

Morning in Lawrence on Wednesday

Local time

8:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 15 mph 34% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 14 at 1:19PM EDT until April 15 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 14 at 10:47AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Destination

Portage, IN

Morning in Portage on Wednesday

Local time

7:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

1 hour earlier

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

37 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 2m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Lawrence, IN to Portage, IN covers 158.8 miles and takes about 3h 2m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 65, I 465, Central Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 79.4 miles from Lawrence, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $24.83 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.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 158.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (McCoy Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.8 miles (I 865): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Lawrence, IN to Portage, IN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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