Origin
Michigan City, IN
Afternoon in Michigan City on Saturday
Local time
3:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Michigan City, IN to Gary, IN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
30.4 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Michigan City, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Gary, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Michigan City, IN to Gary, IN covers 30.4 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 94, Indiana Toll Road, Franklin Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.3 miles on I 94. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.75 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 94 | 18.3 mi | 19m |
| Indiana Toll Road | 5.4 mi | 5m |
| Franklin Street | 3 mi | 7m |
| Madison Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| West 4th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 10th Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Broadway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Homer Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 18.3 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Michigan City, IN and Gary, IN.
1
Start on East Homer Street
497 ft
·
27 sec
·
East Homer Street
2
Turn left onto Franklin Street
3.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Franklin Street
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 94 West: Chicago
4
Merge onto I 94
18 mi
·
19 min
·
I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 16
Toward I 90, SR 51, US 6 East
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 80 East, I 90 Toll Road: Indiana Toll Road, Chicago Skyway
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 West: Chicago, Chicago Skyway West, Indiana Toll Road West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 90
5.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Indiana Toll Road
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 14B
Toward SR 53: Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto SR 53
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Broadway
11
Turn right onto US 12; US 20
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
West 4th Avenue
12
Turn left onto Madison Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Madison Street
13
Turn right onto 10th Place
0.2 mi
·
57 sec
·
10th Place
14
Arrive at destination
10th Place
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 28.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Franklin Street
Turn left onto Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
22 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward I 90, SR 51, US 6 East
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 16
Toward I 90, SR 51, US 6 East
6
22.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 80 East, I 90 Toll Road: Indiana Toll Road, Chicago Skyway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 80 East, I 90 Toll Road: Indiana Toll...
8
22.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 West: Chicago, Chicago Skyway West, Indiana Toll Road West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 90 West: Chicago, Chicago Skyway West,...
7
28.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward SR 53: Broadway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 14B
Toward SR 53: Broadway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.75 one way
$9.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.22 | $10.44 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.85 | $11.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.38
Indiana Toll Road
(5.4 mi)
$0.38
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Gary, IN
Afternoon in Gary on Saturday
Local time
3:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°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
16 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
42m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
30.4 mi in 42m — 60% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 94.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.3 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Franklin Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 30.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Michigan City, IN and Gary, IN, road signs point toward Chicago Skyway, Chicago Skyway West and Indiana Toll Road West.
Chicago Skyway
22.2 mi in
|
~29m
Chicago Skyway West
22.6 mi in
|
~30m
Indiana Toll Road West
22.6 mi in
|
~30m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 30.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.3 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.38 in tolls one way, starting with Indiana Toll Road. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Gary, IN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Indiana Dunes National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gary, IN before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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