Trip from North Madison, IN to Decatur, IN

Drive Time

3h 51m

Distance

166.6 mi

268 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$25

one way

EV Charging

Excellent

5 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 38 min
4 AM
3h 39m ★
6 AM
3h 51m
8 AM
4h 17m
10 AM
4h 0m
12 PM
3h 58m
3 PM
4h 2m
5 PM
4h 16m
8 PM
3h 44m

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

Downtown North Madison, IN, IN

North Madison, IN

Josh Sorenson

Downtown Decatur, IN, IN

Decatur, IN

Google DeepMind

Trip Overview

The drive from North Madison, IN to Decatur, IN covers 166.6 miles and takes about 3h 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on SR 3, South Buckeye Street, US 421 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 43.1 miles on SR 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.30 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

83.3 miles from North Madison, IN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 5m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from North Madison, IN to Decatur, IN covers 166.6 miles and takes about 3h 51m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
SR 3 is the longest continuous segment at about 43.1 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 23.2 miles in near US 50; US 421 / West Perry Street.

Route Complexity 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 3h 51m drive. You will face about 18 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 23.2 miles (US 50; US 421 / West Perry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 46.8 miles (North Broadway Street): Navigation decision point; at 46.8 miles (East Washington Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 18 key points

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

5
23.2 mi into trip | ~35m in | US 50; US 421 / West Perry Street

Turn left onto US 50; US 421 / West Perry Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
46.8 mi into trip | ~1h 10m in | North Broadway Street

Turn right onto North Broadway Street

Navigation decision point

4
46.8 mi into trip | ~1h 11m in | East Washington Street

Turn left onto East Washington Street

Navigation decision point

4
65.9 mi into trip | ~1h 39m in | US 52; SR 3 / South Main Street

At end of road, turn left onto US 52; SR 3 / South Main Street

Navigation decision point

5
105.4 mi into trip | ~2h 38m in | SR 3

Take the ramp onto SR 3 toward SR 3 North, SR 67 North: Portland

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward SR 3 North, SR 67 North: Portland

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
SR 3 43.1 mi 1h 4m
South Buckeye Street 22.4 mi 33m
US 421 20.7 mi 30m
West Walnut Street 18.2 mi 20m
North Meridian Street 15.1 mi 17m
South Main Street 13.9 mi 20m
South Church Avenue 12.6 mi 14m
SR 67 7.8 mi 9m
Longest stretch: SR 3 — 43.1 mi, about 1h 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between North Madison, IN and Decatur, IN.

1

Start on Cragmont Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Cragmont Street
2

Turn right onto Clifty Drive

0.5 mi · 52 sec · Clifty Drive
3

Turn left onto Michigan Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · Michigan Road
4

Turn left

21 mi · 30 min
5

Turn left onto West Perry Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · West Perry Street
6

Turn right onto South Buckeye Street

22 mi · 33 min · South Buckeye Street
7

Continue on East Main Street

0.2 mi · 17 sec · East Main Street
8

Turn right onto North Broadway Street

423 ft · 12 sec · North Broadway Street
9

Turn left onto East Washington Street

33 ft · 2 sec · East Washington Street
10

Turn right onto North Broadway Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · North Broadway Street
11

Turn right

18 mi · 26 min
12

At the end of the road, turn left onto South Main Street

14 mi · 20 min · South Main Street
13

Turn right onto National Road

0.5 mi · 41 sec · National Road
14

Continue on Washington Street

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Washington Street
15

Turn left

25 mi · 37 min
16

Take the ramp right toward SR 3 North, SR 67 North: Portland

0.3 mi · 41 sec · SR 3 North, SR 67 North: Portland
17

Merge slight left onto Muncie Bypass

6.8 mi · 9 min · Muncie Bypass
18

Take the exit straight toward SR 67 North: Portland

0.3 mi · 47 sec · SR 67 North: Portland
19

Keep slight right

7.5 mi · 8 min
20

Turn straight onto West Walnut Street

18 mi · 20 min · West Walnut Street
21

Turn left onto North Meridian Street

15 mi · 17 min · North Meridian Street
22

Continue on South Church Avenue

13 mi · 14 min · South Church Avenue
23

Turn right onto West Monroe Street

0.5 mi · 41 sec · West Monroe Street
24

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 83.3 miles from North Madison, IN, or about 2h 5m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 43.1 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 2h in

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

Halfway reset

Around 83.3 miles or 2h 5m 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 16m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving North Madison, 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 North Madison, IN

This is one driving day of about 166.6 miles and 3h 51m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from North Madison, 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 SR 3 for about 43.1 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 83.3 mi from North Madison, IN · 2h 5m into the drive

Downtown Cincinnati, OH, OH

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Cincinnati, OH

83 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

Cincinnati, OH

Fuel and coffee

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

Cincinnati, OH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 83.3 miles from North Madison, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Decatur, IN

The final approach into Decatur, 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 Decatur, 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

$25.30 one way

$50.61 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 58 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $27.90 $55.79
premium $4.80 $31.45 $62.90
diesel $5.64 $37.01 $74.03

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: 58.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

EV Charging Along Route

5 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent

Spiceland Truck and Auto Plaza - Tesla Supercharger

Spiceland, IN

Tesla

8 DCFC

Madison

Madison, IN

EV Connect

4 DCFC

Versailles

Versailles, IN

EV Connect

4 DCFC

New Castle

New Castle, IN

EV Connect

4 DCFC

STOOPS STOOPS480V

Muncie, IN

ChargePoint Network

1 DCFC

EV Connect: 3 Tesla: 1 ChargePoint Network: 1

Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.

Driving Electric?

About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 50 0 $17.49 $8.00
Efficient EV 41.7 0 $14.58 $6.66
EV Truck/SUV 66.6 0 $23.32 $10.66

Gas CO2

58 kg

EV CO2

19 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 data refreshed 2 hours ago

Origin

North Madison, IN

Morning in North Madison on Monday

Local time

6:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Decatur, IN

Morning in Decatur on Monday

Local time

6:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 20 mph 64% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 3:33AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 3:33AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

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

15 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 51m 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 North Madison, IN to Decatur, IN covers 166.6 miles and takes about 3h 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are SR 3, South Buckeye Street, US 421. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 83.3 miles from North Madison, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $25.30 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 straightforward 3h 51m drive. You will face about 18 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 23.2 miles (US 50; US 421 / West Perry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 46.8 miles (North Broadway Street): Navigation decision point; at 46.8 miles (East Washington Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from North Madison, IN to Decatur, IN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from North Madison, IN or browse trips ending in Decatur, IN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IN road trips.

Explore maps for North Madison, IN or Decatur, IN on MapSof.net.