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Trip from Tell City, IN to West Lafayette, IN

Drive Time

4h 34m

Distance

216.5 mi

348 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$33

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 22m ★
6 AM
4h 35m
8 AM
5h 2m
10 AM
4h 44m
12 PM
4h 42m
3 PM
4h 46m
5 PM
5h 0m
8 PM
4h 27m

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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Downtown Tell City, IN, IN

Tell City, IN

Steven Van Elk

Downtown West Lafayette, IN, IN

West Lafayette, IN

wal_ 172619

Trip Overview

The drive from Tell City, IN to West Lafayette, IN covers 216.5 miles and takes about 4h 34m 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 69, North Gospel Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 47.8 miles on I 65. At current regular gas prices, budget about $32.88 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

108.3 miles from Tell City, IN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 25m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from Tell City, IN to West Lafayette, IN covers 216.5 miles and takes about 4h 34m, 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 29 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 47.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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 47.7 miles in near SR 56 / North Main Street.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 21 significant decision points across 216.5 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: at 47.7 miles (SR 56 / North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 58.3 miles (SR 37 / North Gospel Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 147.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 21 key points

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

6
47.7 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in | SR 56 / North Main Street

Turn right onto SR 56 / North Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
58.3 mi into trip | ~1h 24m in | SR 37 / North Gospel Street

Enter roundabout onto SR 37 / North Gospel Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

6
147.4 mi into trip | ~3h 9m in

Take the exit toward I 465 West, I 74 West: Peoria

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

Exit 163 Toward I 465 West, I 74 West: Peoria
6
158 mi into trip | ~3h 22m in | 65

Keep slight left at fork onto 65

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
162 mi into trip | ~3h 27m in

Take the exit toward I 65 North: Chicago

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 20 Toward I 65 North: Chicago

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 65 47.8 mi 52m
I 69 47.6 mi 53m
North Gospel Street 41.5 mi 51m
Payne Street 29.3 mi 41m
SR 145 16.2 mi 24m
I 74 9.2 mi 10m
State Road 56 8.9 mi 12m
65 3.9 mi 4m
Longest stretch: I 65 — 47.8 mi, about 52m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Tell City, IN and West Lafayette, IN.

1

Start on this road

242 ft · 23 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto Mozart Street

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Mozart Street
3

Turn left onto SR 66

0.8 mi · 1 min · 12th Street
4

Turn right onto SR 37

29 mi · 41 min · Payne Street
5

Turn straight onto SR 64

1.1 mi · 1 min · SR 64
6

Continue on SR 145

16 mi · 24 min · SR 145
7

Turn right onto SR 56

1.7 mi · 2 min · North Main Street
Use the right lane.
8

Continue on SR 56

8.9 mi · 12 min · State Road 56
9

Continue on US 150; SR 37; SR 56

259 ft · 4 sec · West Main Street
10

Enter roundabout onto SR 37

0.1 mi · 8 sec · North Gospel Street
11

Continue on SR 37

41 mi · 51 min · North Gospel Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Merge onto I 69

48 mi · 53 min · I 69
Use the straight lane.
13

Take the exit

1.4 mi · 3 min
Exit 163 Toward I 465 West, I 74 West: Peoria
14

Merge onto I 74; I 465

9.2 mi · 10 min · I 74; I 465
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork onto 65

3.9 mi · 4 min · 65
Use the straight lane.
16

Take the exit

1.1 mi · 2 min
Exit 20 Toward I 65 North: Chicago Use the slight left lane.
17

Merge onto I 65

18 mi · 19 min · I 65
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Take the exit onto US 52

0.2 mi · 15 sec · US 52
Exit 141 Toward US 52 West
19

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 9 sec
20

Merge onto I 65

30 mi · 32 min · I 65
21

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Exit 172 Toward SR 26: Lafayette, Rossville
22

Turn left onto SR 26

0.2 mi · 23 sec · SR 26
23

Continue on South Street

3.0 mi · 5 min · South Street
24

Turn right onto Main Street

426 ft · 14 sec · Main Street
25

Turn slight left onto Columbia Street

1.1 mi · 3 min · Columbia Street
26

Enter roundabout onto East State Street

146 ft · 6 sec · East State Street
27

Continue on East State Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East State Street
Use the straight lane.
28

Turn right onto Northwestern Avenue

0.1 mi · 27 sec · Northwestern Avenue
29

Arrive at destination

Northwestern 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 108.3 miles from Tell City, IN, or about 2h 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 47.8 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 51m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 108.3 miles or 2h 25m 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 45m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Tell City, 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 Tell City, IN

This is one driving day of about 216.5 miles and 4h 34m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Tell City, 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 47.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 108.3 mi from Tell City, IN · 2h 25m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Champaign, IL

108 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

Jackson, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Champaign, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 108.3 miles from Tell City, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in West Lafayette, IN

The final approach into West Lafayette, 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 West Lafayette, IN.

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

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

National Memorial

Abraham Lincoln grew from youth to manhood on this southern Indiana soil. Many character and moral traits of one of the world's most respected leaders was formed and nurtured here. Explore Lincoln's b...

17 mi from route ~42 min detour Free
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$32.88 one way

$65.77 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 76 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $36.25 $72.50
premium $4.80 $40.87 $81.74
diesel $5.64 $48.10 $96.20

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$33

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$58–$83

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 75.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 65 0 $22.73 $10.39
Efficient EV 54.1 0 $18.94 $8.66
EV Truck/SUV 86.6 1 $30.31 $13.86

Gas CO2

76 kg

EV CO2

25 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 3 days ago

Origin

Tell City, IN

Afternoon in Tell City on Monday

Local time

12:36 PM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

West Lafayette, IN

Afternoon in West Lafayette on Monday

Local time

1:36 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°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 later

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

Temperature spread

27 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

4h 34m on the road

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Tell City, IN to West Lafayette, IN covers 216.5 miles and takes about 4h 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 65, I 69, North Gospel Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 108.3 miles from Tell City, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $32.88 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. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 21 significant decision points across 216.5 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: at 47.7 miles (SR 56 / North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 58.3 miles (SR 37 / North Gospel Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 147.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Tell City, IN to West Lafayette, IN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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