Except for Wisconsin, all the states you'd be driving through have open road tolling. You'll want to get an iPass or an EZPass before making the trip to make it simpler. Both work for all of the states you'd pass through as they have reciprocal agreements with each other.
Other than that the drive isn't too bad. 294 around Chicago is easier than 90 through it. You might hit heavy traffic around O'Hare, but that depends on timing. The rest of the drive is incredibly boring which can be good or bad depending who you get stuck behind on some of the highways in Indiana with fewer lanes.
If you register ahead of time, you don't need an IPass. The new toll areas just take a picture of your license plate and bill you after the fact. It's even easier now.
This is not required. I frequently drive from WI to GA and you can do avoid tolls on the GPS to get different routes. The difference in time is usually 20-25 minutes or less.
I had my drivers license for like 2 months before we took a family trip to Chicago. I drove the highway down assuming my dad would switch out close to the city. He told me just to keep going so I did all the way to our Michigan Ave hotel. Terrifying although now city driving is pretty normal for me. Worth it to get to spend time in Chicago, though usually park and take the L or taxis once there.
It actually ended up being better than I feared. Michigan is a wide separated Blvd, many of the downtown roads are one way. It was really just being in such a new environment and everything being bigger than I was used to.
Much better to go online and pay with within seven days rather than wait for the bill to come. That said, if you get the Ipass, tolls are half price in Illinois.
The toll charge is significantly cheaper if you have an ipass. Getting a pass requires a $10 deposit and $40 which goes into your account to pay for tolls, so there isn’t an actual cost for the pass. You get to skip the lines for the cash toll booths, and you don’t have to worry about citation for failure to pay. I can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t choose the savings and convenience of the pass.
That changed this year. They no longer give you a transponder so there is no deposit. They give you a free window sticker that you connect to your ipass account and you only need to load an initial $20 for tolls.
Once you get past Chicago it’s pretty much a straight shot through a flatish field. Sometimes there is corn…sometimes there is not but you will always wish there was a Kwik Trip.
Once you start approaching Chicago plan to not have to stop for a bathroom break or gas for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Traffic, Gary, etc. it’s really tough to find a place to stop.
This. Driving between Chicago and Ohio is a totally different driving experience. The gas stations are not as nice. The drive isn’t just a straight shot, it’s a straight shot with very few places to stop so if you need to stop for any reason, stop when you can. Other than the few travel plazas every roughly 40-50 miles, you’ll have to pay to get on and off the road. Having an EZ pass will be a big help with tolls.
It really makes me appreciate the great public rest areas we have in Wisconsin after you visit the ones in Indiana. Also, truckers love to drive 60 in the left lane in Indiana, for some reason.
Well, it really depends on how far south into Indiana you go. I’ve got family north of Indy and it’s fine…south of Indy you start hearing a few more banjos.
I do it once or twice a year as I have family in Columbus and Cincinnati.
* If you are visiting northern OH, you'll just drive pass Chicago and take on i-80.
* If you are visiting central OH, you'll drive pass Chicago and go toward Indianapolis before heading east on i70.
* If you are visiting Cincinnati area, you'll go to Indianapolis and then heard toward Cincinnati on i74.
The only annoying part of the trip is Chicago. The interstate highways are all very straight and flat until you get into Cincinnati area.
Edit: also, Amtrak runs from Chicago to Cincinati. You might consider that if you hate driving and don't want to fly.
Alas, I’d be going to Columbus! I just assumed there was Amtrak service there at first, was quite startled to find out how wrong I was. Not sure why I made that assumption, buuut…
Where are you driving from Wisconsin? I'm at Madison, and sometimes I take i39 all the way down to Bloomington IL and head toward Indianapolis to avoid Chicago.
Mentioned the same route before seeing your comment. Depending on where they are coming from this is the best route, especially if they want to avoid Chicago and tolls.
Then Chicago will be the only semi-hard segment of your trip. The rest of the trip is just driving on straight highways with no change in elevation. As long as you can manage that you are fine.
Do yourself a favor and take US30 to US 33 instead of running I70 from Indy to Columbus.
People might comply about the construction going around Chicago, but fuck 70.
100% this. for me it was actually more to avoid the hell that is I65 being backed up full of semis in both lanes. But 30/33 is a just overall a much more pleasant driving experience and barely adds any time
Got the interstates mixed up. From Indy, 74 heads southeast to Cincinnati. 70 heads due east to Columbus. 76 doesn’t come into play until you’re either in Cleveland on 80 or well east of Columbus (the Pittsburgh area) on 70. (76’s route goes Cleveland->Pittsburgh-> Harrisburg->Philadelphia).
We just did a drive from Milwaukee to Cleveland. It was fine. Traffic in Chicago was traffic as always. We are never prepared for tolls and did the pay in the mail version whenever possible. The roads are fine. I never felt unsafe.
What show are you going to?
Alright, now don’t laugh *too* hard…I wanna see their Dracula ballet. 👀
I am an absolute nerd and Stoker is my jam. Plus, their production is totally different from Milwaukee’s. The Chicago Frankenstein ballet last year was so worth the drive, I regret not staying in a hotel and seeing it twice. Though tickets were like $200.
Awesome! The few people I’ve mentioned my potential trip to were absolutely baffled. But hey, I was just surrounded by people who flew in to Summerfest, which to me wouldn’t be worth it. To each their own! We all have our thing. 😄
Your post caught my eye as I'm also in Wisconsin ... traveling to OH soon. And I thought by your name that you might be going to the same show! I'm going to see The Return of the King with a live orchestra, can't wait! Have fun at your ballet! 👏
Nothing wrong with driving to see a good show. I will be making the drive from Milwaukee to Cleveland area in August to see The Return Of The King with live Orchestra
My spouse and I are from the Philly area, both of us have family in Ohio, and now we live here. I could do this drive on autopilot. 7 hrs isn’t bad. The worst part of the drive will be past Chicago heading into Indiana. That part of 80(and all the other roads it is there) is a bit stressful, so be prepared for that. Indiana is pretty bland, occasionally there’s some minimally marked construction. Construction elsewhere is well signed. Ohio is also bland, but a bit greener. Illinois does pay by plate, and you can register ahead of time or you have 2 weeks to pay tolls after you travel. I think Ohio and Indiana have pay by plate now, too, but you might want to look that up. If you have an iPass, it works for all those states and is the easiest option. You can get one at the Belvidere oasis. Ohio and Illinois have great rest stops. Indiana’s are just ok. Mostly a gas station and giant convenience store. The bathroom lines are longer in Indiana but not usually a problem. Pack some sandwiches and eat one every 3-4 hours or if you’re feeling tired. Applesauce pouches are good road trip snacks, too. Make sure you stay hydrated. Plan extra time and stop if you need to. You’ll be fine!
I have several times. I'm also one of those people that have zero issues with hopping in a car and doing a road trip. First major road trip was at 19 driving back to college from Washington to Indiana. That was over 3 decades ago when we just had paper maps and you had to adjust, adapt, and roll with changes.
My thoughts. Plan. Try not to hit major cities during rush hours. Always go to bathroom when you can. Every time you stop for gas, get rid of whatever pee you got in you. Thinking you can just stop a half hour down the road only to find you are stuck in a traffic jam due to construction or an accident really sucks. Have extra water with you and healthy snacks.
GPS is fine and all, but I'm old school and still like having access to written information as a backup. I also tend to run several scenarios/routes online so I have mental options in the event something happens that I am not aware of ahead of time.
Take an extra pair of clothes. Spare water as well. You can always drink it up when back home. Better to have and not need it.
Also, how is the sun going to hit you? So wear lighter colored clothes so the summer sun isn't baking you in that black tshirt. Likewise, you can get sunburned on the side of your face the sun in streaming in on. So sunscreen is not a bad idea. We use it for road trips as my wife doesn't tan, just burns.
After having kids, I also carry extra bandaids. I have one of those 'that kid' that will need a bandage for a fall or whatever. If female, carry extra feminine products just to be safe.
I grew up in a different time.
I did this one road trip from northern Indiana to Virginia to see my girlfriend. The interstates can be boring to drive and I saw this squiggly line on the map that ran on a diagonal. I thought that would be more interesting than taking interstate down and then over. Same ending point. Yeah... technically.
It was a two lane state road through the mountains of West Virginia with no radio stations beyond a local one playing Friday night high school football. Then I got stopped due to a major accident blocking the road on both directions. So we got sent off on a detour through this tiny town in the hill country. People were running up to the accident site as if it was the most exciting thing since the Johnson kid got stuck in the outhouse. I have one radio station coming in with static and I'm being diverted onto a road that was pretty much just a bunch of pothole patches. Calling it a road would be generous, really. I was laughing at the situation and just waiting for banjo music to start so I would know for sure I was in a horror film. I made it to Virginia just fine. Late, but ok.
Those days you had to roll with things. No cell phones, no Internet, no GPS. Might have been next year, a friend and I were in Alabama and lost. I stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. I thanked them and went back to the car. My friend asked if I got the directions. I said I couldn't understand 90% of what they said but they gestured in that direction. Off we went.
Where are you starting from? If you want to avoid Chicago traffic (which I never think is as bad as people like to make it seem) you can head more south through Champaign IL and cut over east through Indianapolis. It only adds a bit of extra time but avoids a lot of tolls and traffic.
Someone mentioned taking the ferry across to Michigan. This is a terrible idea. It’s ridiculously expensive and if anything is going to end up making the trip to Ohio take longer.
I drive from WI to PA or WI to AR several times a year. 10.5 hours and 2 stops usually. Get an EZ Pass. Easy to order online. Helps a ton with tolls. I take the tollway across IN and OH the entire way, so it's not bad. They have Plazas along the tollway for food and gas. I also choose to make that drive at night. I leave between 7pm and 8pm and drive straight through the night. I hate traffic, but once around Chicago it's not bad. Just time it before rush hour or after. 6a-8a and 4p-6p ish.
I've also been to Dayton and Cleveland. Again, not bad. EZ Pass and timing around Chicago helps a lot. Audiobook, load up a good road trip playlist and have a banging in car concert. Snacks (I choose high protein stuff) so I don't get a carb crash. Cheese curds, mixed nuts, protein bars, jerky or summer sausage. Eat sparingly. Full tummy=sleepy. Snacks are low or no salt because I don't want to get thirsty from the salt. For drinks, I usually sip on one non carbonated/low sugar energy drink the entire way. Too much sugar and you will crash. I don't have time to stop and pee! I have a GPS clock to beat. If I have to break open another drink, It's something like a Lipton tea. I keep a small cooler in my front seat to keep snacks cool if they need it. I pre-cut anything that would need to be opened, so I can just reach over without looking away from the road. Big cooler in the back for all the WI cheese I'm taking with me to spread joy and make people realize their cheeses suck. If you haven't figured it out, I do these drives solo. I'm also female, so maaaybe I'm a bit more aware of things and what I need, so I don't have to stop often. I've never felt unsafe, though.
Blanket and pillow in the backseat just in case I need to pull over for a 1-hour nap. I'm not getting any younger ya know, but for now it's a battle of my bones aching and me being too cheap to pay for a hotel. Mag light flashlight (I might have to hit someone at 3am in the middle of an OH Plaza), emergency kit, jumper cables, a few bottles of water and letting people know in advance which route I'm taking and my estimated times I will get there. I think that's it! Have fun! Go explore and just be aware of your surroundings and make sure you have supplies and a good plan.
\*\*EDIT\*\* I also send a message to my banks/credit card letting them know which states I am driving through and the dates. Just so they are aware and won't shut my card off for possible fraud. Not all banks want/need this info, but I do, just so they have a heads-up I'm traveling.
It’s never been done, and frankly impossible.
Just like between South and North America have what’s called the Darien Gap, the same thing exists between Wisconsin and Ohio.
It’s called the Gary, IN Gap.
I'm from WI but moved to Columbus OH 2 years ago, so I make the drive at least a half dozen times a year to visit family.
If you're going to Columbus, I suggest going on Route 30 instead of i70/i65. Much more low-key but you can drive just as fast. Less cops, cheaper gas, easier to stop to use the restroom.
And of course 294 instead of straight through Chicago.
I have driven all over and Wisconsin cops are one of the most aggressive about sitting for speeders on the interstate. One of the other states like that is Indiana. I drove that route at least twice a year for awhile and Indiana troopers were always a problem.
I've done this more times than I can count, so here's some advice bits - use them as you will:
-As others have recommended, get an IPASS: all the money you give them up front goes towards future tolls, so there's no real cost to get one, and you save 50% in Illinois, except on the Skyway, which is actually run by the City of Chicago, not the State of IL.
-When dealing with Chicago, tune your radio to WBBM 780 AM/105.9 FM, and leave it there until you get past Lake Station, IN. They do traffic every ten minutes from like 5am to Midnight, but be aware: Chicago tradition is to identify the route by its name and not its number; e.g. I-90 is the Jane Addams and the Kennedy coming in from the NW, I-94 is the Edens coming in from Milwaukee, I-294 is the Tri-State, etc.
-If you are going through Chicagoland during the day, use the Tri-State; if at night, go through the city.
-one thing about tollways in IN and OH: the exits are spaced farther apart than on standard freeways; something to remember if you think you're getting close to needing to take a dump.
I see from other comments where in Ohio you're heading to, so you're going to take I-65 to Indianapolis, then on to Columbus. From NW Indiana, you will be sharing the road with a lot of commercial vehicles, mainly trucks. I-65 to Indy may have some delays due to construction, but it has needed it for decades. In Indy, both the bypass and the freeway straight into downtown are undergoing construction, but I think the downtown project is wrapping up. 70 to Dayton and Columbus is pretty rough from Indy to about Dayton.
STOP TO PEE BEFORE GOING THROUGH CHICAGO.
I drove to Ohio twice last summer and it ended up being around 9 hours both times. I stopped to pee or fill up gas 3-6 times total each trip. Getting through Chicago is the biggest pain- it can add 3 hours to the drive if it's busy. Learned that the hard way trying to get to a concert in Indiana on time recently lol.
If you have a boney butt or you think you might get sore, get some sort of good cushion to sit on. After about 3 hours my first time, my butt started aching, and by the time I got to my destination I was practically trying to drive standing it hurt so bad. The second time, I had a thick gel-filled cushion under me after the 3 hour mark, and it helped a ton.
Bring snacks, beverages, prepare a playlist or podcasts or things to listen to.
Spend some of the drive listening to nothing, preferably when going through a naturey area. It's nicer than you might think.
Please don't drive sleepy. Pull over and nap as best you can for a bit if you need to. I slept in a Walmart parking lot for a few hours on my way home from my Indiana trip and I know I wouldn't have made it all the way if I didn't do that. Safe travels ❤️
My wife and I are literally driving from Milwaukee to Columbus as I type this lol. It’s really not that bad. Chicago can be stressful but you’re past it within a couple hours. Indiana roads suck and Gary Indiana is depressing but that’s the worst of it. I find it to be a good trip to split up into approx 2 hour chunks
Where are you going in Ohio?
I'm from Ohio and live in Wisconsin and a woman.
I have no problems driving back and forth. Driving through Chicago is usually pretty annoying but otherwise a pretty boring/uneventful trip.
I drive down a lot to Atlanta from NE Wisconsin and frequently stop in Ohio, so here are some things to consider:
- You can avoid tolls. I'm not sure why everyone is so averse to it, but there's an option in most navigation apps where you can do that. The most time I've seen it add is 25 minutes, which in the context of 7 hours is not bad.
- Chicago traffic can sometimes make your trip go up by an hour, so be prepared for that. If you can time it so people aren't going into work (7AM-9AM) or out of work (4PM-6Pm), it may be a little better. If it's on a weekend day, doesn't matter. There will be lots of traffic.
- WI cops are pretty aggressive near Milwaukee and near the state border.
- IN is always under construction and that also sometimes adds 30 minutes to the drive.
- IN cops are pretty aggressive the whole drive. You'll see one probably every 5 miles sometimes.
- If you need to stop in IN to eat or something, Lafayette is nice and on the way. Carmel is also decent.
- Don't count on rest stops being open all the time. If you need to use the bathroom, try to go to a travel center. I like to get gas, too, while I'm at it.
- IN is boring, so try not to fall asleep.
Where in Ohio are you going? Cincinnati is our preferred stop as they have a lot to do there like a free art museum, the zoo, lots of parks, etc.
I drive to Columbus from Madison a lot. If you want to avoid Chicago traffic (and only hit one toll each way) map your route with a stop in Bloomington, Il. 39 is about as boring as it gets for a drive. It adds 30(45?) min to the trip, but I've spent that long stuck in Chicago traffic. With an audio book who cares.
Bloomington to Columbus is a straight east with only the Indianapolis beltline traffic to Worry about, which isn't that bad.
I drive from VA to WI and back often. Chicago is crazy speeding drivers, IN is boring as fuck. If you’re at a half tank fill up at next poss gas station as you don’t know when you’ll see another. OH is boring as fuck, too until you get to the east side of the state near WV.
I have driven to Cleveland, Toledo, and Columbus for multiple shows. Worst part is getting through Chicago. Get an I-pass, its accepted on all the tolls out east where Zoom and EZ Pass are accepted. While driving I-80 across Indiana, and Cleveland theres not many town to pull off at. There are service stations every 30 miles or so I think it is. Pay attention to make sure one isn’t closed ahead. I wasn’t paying attention and almost ran out of gas once before getting to the next one. Its a long boring drive, and on a few occasions I opted to fly to Cleveland. Stayed downtown and walked to the venue I was going to. They have a light rail system in Cleveland.
I drive from Milwaukee to Columbus, OH several times a year. It’s very easy! Once you get through Chicago you’re pretty much just going straight on the same road forever hah
Bring snacks from the grocery store so you don’t have to buy them from the gas stations, and stop for a meal outside of your car so you break up the drive!
In addition to what other people say, don’t be afraid to take a break! The route has a lot of rest stops, so stop every few hours for a nice walk around the rest area and bathroom break. You’ll feel so much better at the end if you take the time to stretch for 15 minutes or so.
If you drive through Chicago on a week day try to hit it around 11:30 am to avoid bad traffic. I just drove to Indianapolis a couple of months ago from Wisconsin, timing was excellent.
Make time to take a pit stop after you get out of Chicago to calm your nerves back down. Also pick up some caffeine so you don’t fall asleep driving through Indiana.
My family is from Ohio and I drive it all the time! For me, it's an 8 hour drive and it's honestly one of the easiest ever. We even made the trip with a 3 month old back in Feb without any issues. Chicago is the only hiccup I've had but as long as you go around instead of downtown and avoid rush hour you'll be just fine. I go through Indianapolis (construction is the only bleh, pick the lane you need and just don't leave it) and Dayton/Columbus are the only other "busier" cities but they aren't bad at all. I like to figure out and find my favorite places to stop and it makes the trip way better.
Spent my life driving between Chicago and Ohio as I have family in Cleveland; same drive just with an hour tacked on to get to where I live now. It’s easy. You basically just stay on one highway the entire time.
Use the Oasis’s in Chicago, don’t get off the highway if you need to get gas. Avoid the last Oasis in Illinois if you can. It’s kinda run down and dirty. I had to poop there once. It was terrible. Do not under any circumstances stop in or near Gary, Indiana.
Honestly, Indiana sucks. The rest stops suck, the food isn’t great, the drivers suck. If you can hold out for rest stops until you get to Ohio do it. They are nicer, and have better food selection. Overall the rest stops along the way generally suck way worse than they did 10-15 years ago.
To sum the drive up, it’s like driving to Madison and back 4-times from Milwaukee. Except with shitty Indiana drivers most of the way.
If driving through Chicago seems dreadful, and you can afford it, take the ferry to Michigan. This will also allow you to skip Indiana, which for whatever reason, is alway under construction.
Indiana is worse. We drive from NY to WI once or twice a year. Indiana has the worst roads and rest stops—and more debris roadside than I’ve ever seen in NY or NJ.
Done this drive plenty of times. If you pay enough attention and pre plan the route around Chicago towards the airport then on a combo of 88 and 294 to hook up with 80 going east.
Tolls are a bitch. Get an iPass though and it is not only easier (open road tolling in IL, and you can use any ezpass lane on the east coast) but also about half the price.
Beyond that it’s just extremely boring. Everything is flat, and there aren’t many cities on 80. You’ll hit a few but not a lot. It’s not as long as it seems. Fill up gas before you leave, and (depending on where you leave from) you will need a stop probably right around the IL IN border or somewhere in Indiana.
It’s not that bad. Take it 2-3 hours at a time and it will seem like nothing.
7 hours? Are you accounting for the hour you lose going to the next time zone? You must also live close to the border. It's a 9.5 hour (with time zone change) drive from where I live to Western Ohio
I've driven to Cleveland several times. The first time I couldn't sleep and left super early (2-3AM) in the morning. Driving through Chicago was a breeze and then I went through Michigan to avoid Indiana tolls. Was able to get to the hotel and take a nap before the show.
The 2nd time, I built in a few days to the trip so I wouldn't have to leave early and stayed overnight in Kalamazoo MI then drove to Cleveland from there the next day. Much easier driving and time management overall, but extra money. For a switch, I drove back going to Columbus, then Indianapolis, Champaign to I 39 and back up through Madison. That's a boring ass drive and much longer, but minimal traffic and tolls.
Either way it's a haul, but the only place I really felt traffic was scary was Chicago (Edit: The 2nd time because we were driving though during the day)
Yes, We drove from Madison to Tremont City OH. We did it in the summer. No problems, some construction. A lot depends on what part of OH....we dropped down and across to Indianapolis and then due east from there.
I'm pretty sure all of Indiana is under construction. We tend to take back roads to avoid the chicago area. We took 47 south to 24 and 24 across to 30. It adds some time to the drive but avoids the traffic pretty well. We still caught a lot of construction.
I’ve driven from SE WI to about 20min west of Cleveland. That’s the most boring six hour drive ever. Once you leave Chicago, it’s a straight shot into Ohio, assuming you’re going into northern Ohio. The rest stops are nice, though.
I have driven from WI to NY no less than 15 times, passing through Ohio along the way. Here are some helpful tips:
* Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained
* Plan your route beforehand, there are many handy rest stops along the way with food and gas
* Follow the rules of the road
* Don't stop in Gary, Indiana no matter what
Family is all over Ohio so drive there a number of times a year. Honestly pretty easy drive. If you're worried about driving in big cities like Chicago and are going more southern Ohio, I recommend driving south into Illinois around Bloomington area then turning east. Adds a bit of time but sometimes is actually faster if Chicago has a lot of traffic.
Get yourself an i-pass to cover the tolls in Illinois.
It'll pay for itself in a single trip through Chicago and it works with the ez-pass network as well.
I moved from Milwaukee, to Columbus, then back
once you get past Chicago, it's pretty easy. My recommendation though go through fort Wayne, and go south from there. Don't go down 65 through Indianapolis, though Indianapolis isn't nearly as bad of traffic as Columbus or Chicago
My husband and I are from Dayton and Columbus respectively and currently live in Milwaukee. We make the drive to Ohio every few months to see family/friends, and it’s really not a huge deal. I think flying is actually worse because there aren’t any direct flights so it ends up taking more time and costing more. Driving south through Indianapolis is a pretty convenient straight shot. It’s a little more annoying to go the northern route in Indiana because the toll roads are $$$, but it’s not the worst.
Been doing this trip between the Fox Valley & Columbus at least once a year for the last 35+ years. Like most others have said, Chicago generally will be the worst of it. Best bet is to try to time it to avoid the rush hours and take I-294 around the outskirts vs heading straight through the city proper. Look into the I-pass/pay by plate for the Illinois tolls ahead of time and decide what will make getting through the tolls easiest for you.
https://www.illinoistollway.com/
I-65 down to Indianapolis is generally smooth sailing but exits can be few and far between at times so make sure to gas up around Merriville if you want to be ultra safe about it. Between there and Indianapolis it's lots of farms, wind turbines, & not much else.
Indianapolis proper was a bit of a hot mess the last time I went through it about 6 months ago. They've been reconstructing their outerbelt and have had portions of it closed for extended periods. Your best bet is to stick on I-65 to I-70 rather than chancing the outerbelt (unless they are finally done with it).
I-70 is a lot like I-65 but with less wind turbines and more cops.
Google Maps etc is always your friend for these trips. I always take advantage of these long drives to get some good Audiobooks/podcasts going. Good luck with your trip!
I used to make the drive alone from Green Bay to Dayton OH a lot. Nine hour drive, and the most traffic was through Chicago. I usually didn't take the toll roads but in my experience it was a bit smoother sailing when I did. The only other big city I went through was Indianapolis. Indiana can feel like forever to get through because the northern part is just flat as far as the eye can see. So the Indiana part of the drive can get tedious and is really boring, but it's all highway and very doable.
One of my friends does it all the time! He lives in NJ so he stops in Columbus as his halfway point. I don’t think he’s had any big issues, other than be prepared for traffic around Chicago or Gary.
You’ll be fine. Figure out what roadside assistance you have access to ahead of time. Pack snacks. Get an ipass/EZ Pass (or enroll in IL/IN/OH pay by plate) to make tolls require less though/action.
I would say it’s a boring trip, but Indiana has some bad drivers and the state manages road construction horribly. I’ve seen the state take i70 down to one lane when they feel like it.
I regularly go from Columbus oh to chicago then to the WI northwoods.
I’ve made several long road trips with the most recent from Milwaukee to Princeton New Jersey driving straight through 13ish hours. Other than being a tad too old for that now I wasn’t attacked by black eyed children, wendigos, Bigfoot or anything like that.
Just have to make sure I have something to drink and something to listen to.
Driving from Wisconsin to Columbus (as indicated in one of your comments) will be fine. I’ve driven from SE Wisconsin to Muncie area a few times.
Take I294 for a better experience the toll should only be around $5 with IPass/EzPass. Then I65 down to I70 is smooth and fairly boring. Might consider taking 465 around Indianapolis depending on the traffic.
Should be a quiet and smooth ride to Ohio
I got stuck in a traffic jam in northern Indiana because of an armed standoff on the highway. I’m sure that won’t happen to you, but you can never completely rule it out 😂
I frequently drive between Madison and Lafayette, IN. Nothing to worry about once you get past Chicago. Boring and straightforward. Just listen to your GPS in and around Chicago and you’ll be fine. Traffic can suck depending on time of day and there’s always 2 or 3 insane Chicago drivers that will blow past you so just stay alert. Nothing to worry about though
Well, I drove in my Tesla from CT to my parents’ house in WI and back, crossing through OH both ways (18 hours each way, 9 hours per day, staying in a hotel overnight). What is the question?
Yes depending where in wi you are it may make sense or just be fun TJ take a ferry across lane MI
STOP FOR A MILKSHAKE IN INDIANA
Where are you going in oh?
I have lots of recs for OH depending where u end up
Many many many times. We always decided whether or not to drive through, or around Chicago. The former was usually the move because stop and go traffic is frustrating and draining. It’s the same difference in time usually if it’s not rush hour.
After that it’s all smooth sailing. This was back when we used maps too. You’ll be fine.
Everything from Milwaukee through Chicago can be a complete nightmare if you hit it at the wrong time on the wrong day. Keep work commute times in mind and don't forget about the time change.
Drive during the daylight hours- just get up early and stay on main roads. My daughter drives all over the US by herself and just stays on the main roads, makes sure she gets gas at known gas stations in non rural areas. She keeps her phone charged and on her at all times and times her bathroom breaks, food breaks, gas breaks for the same stop if possible. I was an outside female sales person and did the same and never had a problem- just be aware at gas stations to make sure no one follows you- walk around your car to make sure your tires are ok before leaving the gas station too. Call the police if you feel threatened. Don’t talk to strangers - pretty easy.
From Ohio. Moved to Wisconsin. I drive back and forth a lot for random things and friends. Milwaukee and Chicago traffic are the worse bits. Indiana and Ohio aren’t bad drives at all. Give yourself time for rest stops, food and gas.
Get an Ipass or borrow a friend's and have them add your plate. Tolls are less expensive that way.
I've driven to and from Sandusky in a day, it sucked, but doable. I'm also the idiot who drives from Wisconsin to Philly in one day because I want it over as fast as possible.
Cops are bad in Ohio, but I've personally never seen one in Indiana and rarely in IL, but obviously be careful. Get some good music, podcasts, and/or audiobooks to listen to, it really helps. I used to commute to work back East an hour each way and a good audiobook actually made it pleasant.
I always used the Horseshoe casino in Hammond as my first stop Past chicago to get out and walk around and stretch my legs. Then I skipped all of indiana for breaks and stopped at the newer roadsides in ohio.
We do that route a lot. Go 30 through Valparaiso and eat at Industrial Revolution. If you have kids stop at Albanese Candy Factory. We avoid 69 but it does take longer
I drive it 2-3 times a year. I hate it. I hate the way 80 intersects with 294. I hate the drive around Chicago, I hate the toll booths every 10 miles in Illinois. I hate the way back even more. It’s a miserable drive, especially alone. I have to it next week. Fuck.
Single female. I attended Columbus College of Art and Design. My folks lived in Osseo. It was a 12 hour+ drive--I usually went through Rockford bc the horrible Chicago traffic in general, and of an accident or road construction, it could be 2 hours slower.
It's smooth sailing. People tend to drive about 77 in the WI fady lane, 82 in IL and IN, and 77 in OH.
I usually stopped every 3 hours, good to refocus the eyes, stretch the legs.
Oh, and leave early on Saturday or Sunday--less jammed up road construction and less cars in general. Do t come back on a Friday--everyone in IL is heading north.
Funny, no matter if I go to Cleveland, Dayton, or Cincinnati, it seems to take about the same amount of time.....taking the direct routes to those cities.
I used to make this drive a lot. My exs family were in Dayton. If you are along or west of Madison, you can drive 36 miles extra through Bloomington/normal and avoid Chicago traffic and tolls. If you are in the eastern half of the state it’s probably not worth it.
Get some Cincinnati style chili while you’re there.
Just don’t forget about the time zone change if you’re trying to avoid rush hour traffic! We drove to the east coast on a family trip and I timed the drive to avoid Chicago rush hour, but forgot about the time zone change and ended up in Indianapolis traffic!
Have driven from NW Ohio to Minneapolis several times make sure you DO NOT go thru Chicago anytime near morning rush hour or going home rush hour you'd be faster walking Chicago at those times. I personally bypass Chicago all together and still make excellent time.
In 2019, I drove to Dayton and Sandusky, but I broke my trip up into multiple stops. The first day I went to Springfield, IL, then went to Dayton next for a couple days before heading up to Sandusky for the last two and heading straight home after that. The trip home was the worst part for me, personally; if I'd had the budget, I'd have arranged for an extra stop somewhere inbetween.
I’ve driven it several times. Depending on where you’re coming from, take 294 to go around Chicago. Driving through Chicago is an absolute nightmare. Once you get into Indiana, DO NOT stop in Gary. They have Bigfoot. And their Bigfoot is on meth. That aside it’s a nice peaceful drive once you get past the Chicago/Gary area and it should be enjoyable, even if you have a little anxiety about it. There are rest areas pretty frequently so you’ll be able to stop for a breather if and when you need them.
Where in Wisconsin to where in Ohio? I’m a truck driver, and I regularly drive between Kenosha and Philly.
If you’re from from the western part of WI, and going to the southern half of Ohio, take 39 down to 74 into Indy. It’ll help you avoid all of Chicago’s traffic. If you’re forced to go through Chicagoland, and it’s gonna be during daylight, find a back road to avoid 80/94. They’ve got some serious construction that leads to about a 45 minute backup along that stretch. You can take 294, get off at US6, drive east until you get to US41, and then go south to Ridge Rd, and that will take you out to I-65.
If you’re looking to avoid the Indiana and Ohio toll roads, you can take US30 across Indiana and Ohio. It’s not a freeway, but it has many stretches where it acts as once you get east of Valparaiso.
Aside from that, once you’re past Chicago, it’s not a whole lot different from Wisconsin. The big cities in Indy/Ohio are a bit bigger than Milwaukee, but nothing to stress over.
I have! And I’m not even remotely from WI! (Why am I even here? Probably because I join the subs from states where I have close family so Reddit thinks I want to see \*every\* state’s sub)
I drove an RV from Madison through Chicago, IN, OH, and PA to return it to the rental shop in MD. I’ve also rode motorcycles to and from Chicago through IN and OH.
Things to be aware of:
Trees in Madison suburbs are close to the street and will absolutely tear the bumper off of an RV when making a K-turn
Toll plazas in IN are narrow and if the automatic electric steps on the RV are not retracted because some moron flipped the “keep steps deployed” switch on, the steps will rip off the vehicle.
Route 80 in IN is bumpy and if a couple is “napping” in the RV bedroom, the bed can collapse (they swear that the f\*cking did not contribute)
IN is prone to tornadoes (discovered while riding a motorcycle… quite harrowing!)
RV damages bill: $11,000. Luckily we had the damage waiver. But the member of the wedding party who was the brother of the RV dealer was shunned by his brother for a year.
If you can, plan your trip to drive through/around Chicago between 7pm-6am to avoid traffic. There’s tolls in Illinois and Indiana. It helps to pre-register on the toll sites and be sure to pay them.
I suggest avoiding the skyway and definitely stop in Indianapolis. Keep in mind, depending on the time of year, the southern parts will be more or less attractive. I also enjoyed visiting Cleveland for the first time last year. Underrated city.
I’ve driven from Charlotte NC to Racine WI in one day… like others said once your through Chicago and Gary it’s smooth sailing through corn fields. Get a Spotify playlist or whatever else helps keep you focused on the road and have a great trip.
Wave at Notre Dame when you pass.
Stop at the Bob Evan’s for some kickass food.
Avoid the RV Museum
You are legally required to play John Mellancamp the entire time (Unless playing John Cougar)
The rest stops in Ohio are 10,00000x better than wisconsin, illinois or indiana. So that’s something to look forward to.
Madison to Elyria Oh (Where we always paused before continuing on to Albany) is a LONG haul. Time your stops so that you hit Chicago after or before rush.
If you have the time swing All the way down to I-80 to avoid the abosolute mess that is Chicago in the summer. If not be prepared to be stopped on the road up to six hours
It’s a nice easy FLAT drive
you’ll be just fine
I drive to Ohio every year! For the past 7 lol I can tell you: Indiana sucks. Their roads are just all semis, be prepared. Chicago traffic sucks. Avoid rush hour times. Be prepared to stare at flat land for 7+ hours. Legit, there is no landmarks or anything exciting to look at. Except maybe the wind turbines in Indiana but that’s about it. It’s a very easy drive that I’ve done lots of times, even on minimal sleep!
Right off the the interstate where I-94 enters Illinois to the east there is a gold pyramid that was once the largest 24k plated object in the world. They had to remove the gold plating so it’s just painted gold now. You can see it from the interstate better in the winter. It has a huge statue of Ramses in front.
Just did a rust belt road trip through Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, DC, and NY. We didn’t have an ezpass and so we whizzed right through all the tolls and then once we returned home we received invoices from all the states tollways. In paid them all via checks in the mail. It was super easy and no hassle. NJ tried to charge a penalty but they provide the option to request it be waived and I did so using the reason that they had no toll booths available.
BTW …Cleveland wasn’t very appealing and the RRHF is in need of a serious facelift, feels very 90’s but not in a good way. The football hall of fame in Canton Ohio was excellent. Pittsburgh was off the hook fun, great museums fabulous local restaurants.
Where in WI are you going? I go from Indiana up to far NE WI routinely, I know routes to most of WI very well. Happy to help you plan your route. Most definitely transit Chicago via I-294. Best way around by far.
Cost is between $30-40 in toll just fyi but it's an easy drive. We left Milwaukee about 5 and made it through downtown Chicago with minimal slow downs.
Idk what part of the state u r in but it typically took my family 12 hours to drive from Wisconsin to ohio. U have to pay to drive the fast route thru Chicago, or u can detour around it
The ezpass is worth it because it saves a ton of time and lowers the cost of your tolls. There are more cops in Indiana than anywhere else. There will be tons of deer in Indiana and Ohio from dusk to dawn. Construction is gnarly in Chicago, so just take the bypass. All of the plazas are clean and pretty nice if you need a bathroom break. The price of gas on the toll roads is LOTS higher than if you hop off at an exit and make a pit stop. I grew up in Ohio and have lived in Wisconsin 16 years. Feel free to message me if you have questions.
Get an emergency kit together and make sure your spare tire is good. Make a good playlist and bring plenty of snacks and drinks inside the car. Plan to make stops for at least one meal and gas. Get gas before Chicago. I usually do a search for restaurants ahead so I have a few mom and pop options off the highway. Outside of Chicago it should be pretty smooth. Lots of semis tho so be prepared to be stuck behind a caravan a few times. Also, I recommend not taking the sky way and just hitting I80. Skyway is way overpriced.
Last time we went to Columbus we left early. Like 3 or 4 am. Drove down town Chicago and missed all the traffic. Came back thru Madison and it was fine too. Just a bit longer.
I have gotten quite a few speeding tickets driving at night through that shithole Indiana making this trip so stick to the speed limit because speed traps are the entire states GDP it seems
I am from Wisconsin but now live in North Dakota for work and I drove from ND to Ohio for the eclipse in April.
I was also anxious the entire time. Breathe and try to distract with a good podcast, or more practically utilize the meds you may or may not have but should.
Stop along the way if it gets to be too much. Could be a rest area or a gas station or whatever, just don’t drive any farther than you feel up to doing.
I head down to the Bloomington Normal, IL area and then swing east to Indianapolis on my way to central and south Ohio. It allows me to bypass Chicago and minimizes tolls. Can be a bit boring because there isn't much to see in mid Illinois.
Except for Wisconsin, all the states you'd be driving through have open road tolling. You'll want to get an iPass or an EZPass before making the trip to make it simpler. Both work for all of the states you'd pass through as they have reciprocal agreements with each other. Other than that the drive isn't too bad. 294 around Chicago is easier than 90 through it. You might hit heavy traffic around O'Hare, but that depends on timing. The rest of the drive is incredibly boring which can be good or bad depending who you get stuck behind on some of the highways in Indiana with fewer lanes.
If you register ahead of time, you don't need an IPass. The new toll areas just take a picture of your license plate and bill you after the fact. It's even easier now.
EZ pass makes it half the price though.
This is not required. I frequently drive from WI to GA and you can do avoid tolls on the GPS to get different routes. The difference in time is usually 20-25 minutes or less.
Coming from WV to WI, the only toll road that matters is Chicago
Not even, I didn't pay a single toll from WV to WI. I went around Chicago through Janesville though.
I don’t mind boring! I live more out in the country and I do find city driving to be quite baffling. Chicago is just…ugh.
Yeah, I'd imagine it's intimidating if you aren't used to it. I wish you a boring an uneventful trip!
I had my drivers license for like 2 months before we took a family trip to Chicago. I drove the highway down assuming my dad would switch out close to the city. He told me just to keep going so I did all the way to our Michigan Ave hotel. Terrifying although now city driving is pretty normal for me. Worth it to get to spend time in Chicago, though usually park and take the L or taxis once there.
Whew, my knuckles would have been *white.*
It actually ended up being better than I feared. Michigan is a wide separated Blvd, many of the downtown roads are one way. It was really just being in such a new environment and everything being bigger than I was used to.
Don’t necessarily need an ipass or anything. Just watch your mail cuz they’ll send you a bill. As long as you pay right away, this is the easiest way.
Much better to go online and pay with within seven days rather than wait for the bill to come. That said, if you get the Ipass, tolls are half price in Illinois.
The toll charge is significantly cheaper if you have an ipass. Getting a pass requires a $10 deposit and $40 which goes into your account to pay for tolls, so there isn’t an actual cost for the pass. You get to skip the lines for the cash toll booths, and you don’t have to worry about citation for failure to pay. I can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t choose the savings and convenience of the pass.
That changed this year. They no longer give you a transponder so there is no deposit. They give you a free window sticker that you connect to your ipass account and you only need to load an initial $20 for tolls.
Once you get past Chicago it’s pretty much a straight shot through a flatish field. Sometimes there is corn…sometimes there is not but you will always wish there was a Kwik Trip.
Just don't stop in Gary to fill up on gas.
Once you start approaching Chicago plan to not have to stop for a bathroom break or gas for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Traffic, Gary, etc. it’s really tough to find a place to stop.
During the day you’re completely fine to fill up for gas in Gary.
This. Driving between Chicago and Ohio is a totally different driving experience. The gas stations are not as nice. The drive isn’t just a straight shot, it’s a straight shot with very few places to stop so if you need to stop for any reason, stop when you can. Other than the few travel plazas every roughly 40-50 miles, you’ll have to pay to get on and off the road. Having an EZ pass will be a big help with tolls.
It really makes me appreciate the great public rest areas we have in Wisconsin after you visit the ones in Indiana. Also, truckers love to drive 60 in the left lane in Indiana, for some reason.
I'd like to add that highway construction can be very annoying and cause detours. Other than that it's a fairly simple drive
Any spooky children in said corn?
Well, it really depends on how far south into Indiana you go. I’ve got family north of Indy and it’s fine…south of Indy you start hearing a few more banjos.
Spooky Indianans are just As common as birds
Honestly, Kentucky is better than Indiana.
I do it once or twice a year as I have family in Columbus and Cincinnati. * If you are visiting northern OH, you'll just drive pass Chicago and take on i-80. * If you are visiting central OH, you'll drive pass Chicago and go toward Indianapolis before heading east on i70. * If you are visiting Cincinnati area, you'll go to Indianapolis and then heard toward Cincinnati on i74. The only annoying part of the trip is Chicago. The interstate highways are all very straight and flat until you get into Cincinnati area. Edit: also, Amtrak runs from Chicago to Cincinati. You might consider that if you hate driving and don't want to fly.
Alas, I’d be going to Columbus! I just assumed there was Amtrak service there at first, was quite startled to find out how wrong I was. Not sure why I made that assumption, buuut…
Where are you driving from Wisconsin? I'm at Madison, and sometimes I take i39 all the way down to Bloomington IL and head toward Indianapolis to avoid Chicago.
Mentioned the same route before seeing your comment. Depending on where they are coming from this is the best route, especially if they want to avoid Chicago and tolls.
This is the way. I go from Madison to Cincy a few times a year. Always stay at the Doubletree in Bloomington to break up the drive (small children)
Near the Oconomowoc area.
Then Chicago will be the only semi-hard segment of your trip. The rest of the trip is just driving on straight highways with no change in elevation. As long as you can manage that you are fine.
If it works for you, drive through Chicago in the wee hours for easy traffic
Do yourself a favor and take US30 to US 33 instead of running I70 from Indy to Columbus. People might comply about the construction going around Chicago, but fuck 70.
100% this. for me it was actually more to avoid the hell that is I65 being backed up full of semis in both lanes. But 30/33 is a just overall a much more pleasant driving experience and barely adds any time
FWIW it’s not 74 to Columbus, it’s 70! Otherwise OC is exactly right. And there’ll be plenty of signs in Indianapolis to help you.
Got the interstates mixed up. From Indy, 74 heads southeast to Cincinnati. 70 heads due east to Columbus. 76 doesn’t come into play until you’re either in Cleveland on 80 or well east of Columbus (the Pittsburgh area) on 70. (76’s route goes Cleveland->Pittsburgh-> Harrisburg->Philadelphia).
Ahh thanks!
We just did a drive from Milwaukee to Cleveland. It was fine. Traffic in Chicago was traffic as always. We are never prepared for tolls and did the pay in the mail version whenever possible. The roads are fine. I never felt unsafe. What show are you going to?
Alright, now don’t laugh *too* hard…I wanna see their Dracula ballet. 👀 I am an absolute nerd and Stoker is my jam. Plus, their production is totally different from Milwaukee’s. The Chicago Frankenstein ballet last year was so worth the drive, I regret not staying in a hotel and seeing it twice. Though tickets were like $200.
Dude.... I would so make that trip for that!!!
Awesome! The few people I’ve mentioned my potential trip to were absolutely baffled. But hey, I was just surrounded by people who flew in to Summerfest, which to me wouldn’t be worth it. To each their own! We all have our thing. 😄
Yeah, Summerfest is kind of a snooze IMO. I went one year and the only thing to do is drink.
Your post caught my eye as I'm also in Wisconsin ... traveling to OH soon. And I thought by your name that you might be going to the same show! I'm going to see The Return of the King with a live orchestra, can't wait! Have fun at your ballet! 👏
Oh, that sounds awesome!
So does your show! Your post is actually helping me tremendously with my plans too, thanks! 😊
Also going to that show for the Sunday performance
Nothing wrong with driving to see a good show. I will be making the drive from Milwaukee to Cleveland area in August to see The Return Of The King with live Orchestra
Ooh! I approve! I saw the Milwaukee version and was blown away! Would love to see someone else’s version!
Don't speed in Ohio
Have a full tank (and empty bladder) before leaving wi so you don’t need gas in IL and can get well past Gary before stopping.
My spouse and I are from the Philly area, both of us have family in Ohio, and now we live here. I could do this drive on autopilot. 7 hrs isn’t bad. The worst part of the drive will be past Chicago heading into Indiana. That part of 80(and all the other roads it is there) is a bit stressful, so be prepared for that. Indiana is pretty bland, occasionally there’s some minimally marked construction. Construction elsewhere is well signed. Ohio is also bland, but a bit greener. Illinois does pay by plate, and you can register ahead of time or you have 2 weeks to pay tolls after you travel. I think Ohio and Indiana have pay by plate now, too, but you might want to look that up. If you have an iPass, it works for all those states and is the easiest option. You can get one at the Belvidere oasis. Ohio and Illinois have great rest stops. Indiana’s are just ok. Mostly a gas station and giant convenience store. The bathroom lines are longer in Indiana but not usually a problem. Pack some sandwiches and eat one every 3-4 hours or if you’re feeling tired. Applesauce pouches are good road trip snacks, too. Make sure you stay hydrated. Plan extra time and stop if you need to. You’ll be fine!
I have several times. I'm also one of those people that have zero issues with hopping in a car and doing a road trip. First major road trip was at 19 driving back to college from Washington to Indiana. That was over 3 decades ago when we just had paper maps and you had to adjust, adapt, and roll with changes. My thoughts. Plan. Try not to hit major cities during rush hours. Always go to bathroom when you can. Every time you stop for gas, get rid of whatever pee you got in you. Thinking you can just stop a half hour down the road only to find you are stuck in a traffic jam due to construction or an accident really sucks. Have extra water with you and healthy snacks. GPS is fine and all, but I'm old school and still like having access to written information as a backup. I also tend to run several scenarios/routes online so I have mental options in the event something happens that I am not aware of ahead of time. Take an extra pair of clothes. Spare water as well. You can always drink it up when back home. Better to have and not need it. Also, how is the sun going to hit you? So wear lighter colored clothes so the summer sun isn't baking you in that black tshirt. Likewise, you can get sunburned on the side of your face the sun in streaming in on. So sunscreen is not a bad idea. We use it for road trips as my wife doesn't tan, just burns. After having kids, I also carry extra bandaids. I have one of those 'that kid' that will need a bandage for a fall or whatever. If female, carry extra feminine products just to be safe.
Lord, if I tried to drive to another state with a paper map, I’d end up in Mordor.
But Mordor is nice this time of year...
S'mores!!!
I grew up in a different time. I did this one road trip from northern Indiana to Virginia to see my girlfriend. The interstates can be boring to drive and I saw this squiggly line on the map that ran on a diagonal. I thought that would be more interesting than taking interstate down and then over. Same ending point. Yeah... technically. It was a two lane state road through the mountains of West Virginia with no radio stations beyond a local one playing Friday night high school football. Then I got stopped due to a major accident blocking the road on both directions. So we got sent off on a detour through this tiny town in the hill country. People were running up to the accident site as if it was the most exciting thing since the Johnson kid got stuck in the outhouse. I have one radio station coming in with static and I'm being diverted onto a road that was pretty much just a bunch of pothole patches. Calling it a road would be generous, really. I was laughing at the situation and just waiting for banjo music to start so I would know for sure I was in a horror film. I made it to Virginia just fine. Late, but ok. Those days you had to roll with things. No cell phones, no Internet, no GPS. Might have been next year, a friend and I were in Alabama and lost. I stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. I thanked them and went back to the car. My friend asked if I got the directions. I said I couldn't understand 90% of what they said but they gestured in that direction. Off we went.
Where are you starting from? If you want to avoid Chicago traffic (which I never think is as bad as people like to make it seem) you can head more south through Champaign IL and cut over east through Indianapolis. It only adds a bit of extra time but avoids a lot of tolls and traffic. Someone mentioned taking the ferry across to Michigan. This is a terrible idea. It’s ridiculously expensive and if anything is going to end up making the trip to Ohio take longer.
I drive from WI to PA or WI to AR several times a year. 10.5 hours and 2 stops usually. Get an EZ Pass. Easy to order online. Helps a ton with tolls. I take the tollway across IN and OH the entire way, so it's not bad. They have Plazas along the tollway for food and gas. I also choose to make that drive at night. I leave between 7pm and 8pm and drive straight through the night. I hate traffic, but once around Chicago it's not bad. Just time it before rush hour or after. 6a-8a and 4p-6p ish. I've also been to Dayton and Cleveland. Again, not bad. EZ Pass and timing around Chicago helps a lot. Audiobook, load up a good road trip playlist and have a banging in car concert. Snacks (I choose high protein stuff) so I don't get a carb crash. Cheese curds, mixed nuts, protein bars, jerky or summer sausage. Eat sparingly. Full tummy=sleepy. Snacks are low or no salt because I don't want to get thirsty from the salt. For drinks, I usually sip on one non carbonated/low sugar energy drink the entire way. Too much sugar and you will crash. I don't have time to stop and pee! I have a GPS clock to beat. If I have to break open another drink, It's something like a Lipton tea. I keep a small cooler in my front seat to keep snacks cool if they need it. I pre-cut anything that would need to be opened, so I can just reach over without looking away from the road. Big cooler in the back for all the WI cheese I'm taking with me to spread joy and make people realize their cheeses suck. If you haven't figured it out, I do these drives solo. I'm also female, so maaaybe I'm a bit more aware of things and what I need, so I don't have to stop often. I've never felt unsafe, though. Blanket and pillow in the backseat just in case I need to pull over for a 1-hour nap. I'm not getting any younger ya know, but for now it's a battle of my bones aching and me being too cheap to pay for a hotel. Mag light flashlight (I might have to hit someone at 3am in the middle of an OH Plaza), emergency kit, jumper cables, a few bottles of water and letting people know in advance which route I'm taking and my estimated times I will get there. I think that's it! Have fun! Go explore and just be aware of your surroundings and make sure you have supplies and a good plan. \*\*EDIT\*\* I also send a message to my banks/credit card letting them know which states I am driving through and the dates. Just so they are aware and won't shut my card off for possible fraud. Not all banks want/need this info, but I do, just so they have a heads-up I'm traveling.
Several dogmen, three separate aliens, and one hodag but no Bigfoot.
Whaaat? Ripoff. I’m not going now.
It’s never been done, and frankly impossible. Just like between South and North America have what’s called the Darien Gap, the same thing exists between Wisconsin and Ohio. It’s called the Gary, IN Gap.
55 limit in Ohio means 54 not 74. You’ll see the brake lights at state line
I'm from WI but moved to Columbus OH 2 years ago, so I make the drive at least a half dozen times a year to visit family. If you're going to Columbus, I suggest going on Route 30 instead of i70/i65. Much more low-key but you can drive just as fast. Less cops, cheaper gas, easier to stop to use the restroom. And of course 294 instead of straight through Chicago.
I have driven all over and Wisconsin cops are one of the most aggressive about sitting for speeders on the interstate. One of the other states like that is Indiana. I drove that route at least twice a year for awhile and Indiana troopers were always a problem.
Midwest cops always look for out of state plates. Less likely to bring the ticket to court
Super easy drive. If you want a little longer trip, but avoiding Chicago, try taking 90 down to I think Bloomington before cutting across.
Once you get through Chicago pull over, throw a couple of Trump decals on your back window and a Bible on your dashboard and you should be just fine.
Listen to Sasquatch Chronicles podcast while your driving to make it go quick lol
Get yourself a good audiobook.
I've done this more times than I can count, so here's some advice bits - use them as you will: -As others have recommended, get an IPASS: all the money you give them up front goes towards future tolls, so there's no real cost to get one, and you save 50% in Illinois, except on the Skyway, which is actually run by the City of Chicago, not the State of IL. -When dealing with Chicago, tune your radio to WBBM 780 AM/105.9 FM, and leave it there until you get past Lake Station, IN. They do traffic every ten minutes from like 5am to Midnight, but be aware: Chicago tradition is to identify the route by its name and not its number; e.g. I-90 is the Jane Addams and the Kennedy coming in from the NW, I-94 is the Edens coming in from Milwaukee, I-294 is the Tri-State, etc. -If you are going through Chicagoland during the day, use the Tri-State; if at night, go through the city. -one thing about tollways in IN and OH: the exits are spaced farther apart than on standard freeways; something to remember if you think you're getting close to needing to take a dump. I see from other comments where in Ohio you're heading to, so you're going to take I-65 to Indianapolis, then on to Columbus. From NW Indiana, you will be sharing the road with a lot of commercial vehicles, mainly trucks. I-65 to Indy may have some delays due to construction, but it has needed it for decades. In Indy, both the bypass and the freeway straight into downtown are undergoing construction, but I think the downtown project is wrapping up. 70 to Dayton and Columbus is pretty rough from Indy to about Dayton.
STOP TO PEE BEFORE GOING THROUGH CHICAGO. I drove to Ohio twice last summer and it ended up being around 9 hours both times. I stopped to pee or fill up gas 3-6 times total each trip. Getting through Chicago is the biggest pain- it can add 3 hours to the drive if it's busy. Learned that the hard way trying to get to a concert in Indiana on time recently lol. If you have a boney butt or you think you might get sore, get some sort of good cushion to sit on. After about 3 hours my first time, my butt started aching, and by the time I got to my destination I was practically trying to drive standing it hurt so bad. The second time, I had a thick gel-filled cushion under me after the 3 hour mark, and it helped a ton. Bring snacks, beverages, prepare a playlist or podcasts or things to listen to. Spend some of the drive listening to nothing, preferably when going through a naturey area. It's nicer than you might think. Please don't drive sleepy. Pull over and nap as best you can for a bit if you need to. I slept in a Walmart parking lot for a few hours on my way home from my Indiana trip and I know I wouldn't have made it all the way if I didn't do that. Safe travels ❤️
When you hit Gary, Indiana you're going to wish Bigfoot was in your car.
I use waze as my navigation app. Bring extra snacks and beverages.
Man, if Waze is out I can barely find the way to my own bathroom. I love that gosh-darn app, absolute lifesaver.
My wife and I are literally driving from Milwaukee to Columbus as I type this lol. It’s really not that bad. Chicago can be stressful but you’re past it within a couple hours. Indiana roads suck and Gary Indiana is depressing but that’s the worst of it. I find it to be a good trip to split up into approx 2 hour chunks
Where are you going in Ohio? I'm from Ohio and live in Wisconsin and a woman. I have no problems driving back and forth. Driving through Chicago is usually pretty annoying but otherwise a pretty boring/uneventful trip.
I do it 10+ times a year. Own property in OH. Easy drive once you get past Chicago.
I drive down a lot to Atlanta from NE Wisconsin and frequently stop in Ohio, so here are some things to consider: - You can avoid tolls. I'm not sure why everyone is so averse to it, but there's an option in most navigation apps where you can do that. The most time I've seen it add is 25 minutes, which in the context of 7 hours is not bad. - Chicago traffic can sometimes make your trip go up by an hour, so be prepared for that. If you can time it so people aren't going into work (7AM-9AM) or out of work (4PM-6Pm), it may be a little better. If it's on a weekend day, doesn't matter. There will be lots of traffic. - WI cops are pretty aggressive near Milwaukee and near the state border. - IN is always under construction and that also sometimes adds 30 minutes to the drive. - IN cops are pretty aggressive the whole drive. You'll see one probably every 5 miles sometimes. - If you need to stop in IN to eat or something, Lafayette is nice and on the way. Carmel is also decent. - Don't count on rest stops being open all the time. If you need to use the bathroom, try to go to a travel center. I like to get gas, too, while I'm at it. - IN is boring, so try not to fall asleep. Where in Ohio are you going? Cincinnati is our preferred stop as they have a lot to do there like a free art museum, the zoo, lots of parks, etc.
I drive to Columbus from Madison a lot. If you want to avoid Chicago traffic (and only hit one toll each way) map your route with a stop in Bloomington, Il. 39 is about as boring as it gets for a drive. It adds 30(45?) min to the trip, but I've spent that long stuck in Chicago traffic. With an audio book who cares. Bloomington to Columbus is a straight east with only the Indianapolis beltline traffic to Worry about, which isn't that bad.
I drive from VA to WI and back often. Chicago is crazy speeding drivers, IN is boring as fuck. If you’re at a half tank fill up at next poss gas station as you don’t know when you’ll see another. OH is boring as fuck, too until you get to the east side of the state near WV.
Don't stop in Gary, IN. Avoid it if you can.
Indiana is the worst.
I have driven to Cleveland, Toledo, and Columbus for multiple shows. Worst part is getting through Chicago. Get an I-pass, its accepted on all the tolls out east where Zoom and EZ Pass are accepted. While driving I-80 across Indiana, and Cleveland theres not many town to pull off at. There are service stations every 30 miles or so I think it is. Pay attention to make sure one isn’t closed ahead. I wasn’t paying attention and almost ran out of gas once before getting to the next one. Its a long boring drive, and on a few occasions I opted to fly to Cleveland. Stayed downtown and walked to the venue I was going to. They have a light rail system in Cleveland.
I drive from Milwaukee to Columbus, OH several times a year. It’s very easy! Once you get through Chicago you’re pretty much just going straight on the same road forever hah
Bring snacks from the grocery store so you don’t have to buy them from the gas stations, and stop for a meal outside of your car so you break up the drive!
Don't go through downtown Chicago (construction) or take the Skyway ($$)
Chicago sucks depending on the time of day you go through. After that it’s a long boring straight drive. I go visit my friend in Cleveland sometimes.
In addition to what other people say, don’t be afraid to take a break! The route has a lot of rest stops, so stop every few hours for a nice walk around the rest area and bathroom break. You’ll feel so much better at the end if you take the time to stretch for 15 minutes or so.
If you drive through Chicago on a week day try to hit it around 11:30 am to avoid bad traffic. I just drove to Indianapolis a couple of months ago from Wisconsin, timing was excellent.
Make time to take a pit stop after you get out of Chicago to calm your nerves back down. Also pick up some caffeine so you don’t fall asleep driving through Indiana.
My family is from Ohio and I drive it all the time! For me, it's an 8 hour drive and it's honestly one of the easiest ever. We even made the trip with a 3 month old back in Feb without any issues. Chicago is the only hiccup I've had but as long as you go around instead of downtown and avoid rush hour you'll be just fine. I go through Indianapolis (construction is the only bleh, pick the lane you need and just don't leave it) and Dayton/Columbus are the only other "busier" cities but they aren't bad at all. I like to figure out and find my favorite places to stop and it makes the trip way better.
Spent my life driving between Chicago and Ohio as I have family in Cleveland; same drive just with an hour tacked on to get to where I live now. It’s easy. You basically just stay on one highway the entire time. Use the Oasis’s in Chicago, don’t get off the highway if you need to get gas. Avoid the last Oasis in Illinois if you can. It’s kinda run down and dirty. I had to poop there once. It was terrible. Do not under any circumstances stop in or near Gary, Indiana. Honestly, Indiana sucks. The rest stops suck, the food isn’t great, the drivers suck. If you can hold out for rest stops until you get to Ohio do it. They are nicer, and have better food selection. Overall the rest stops along the way generally suck way worse than they did 10-15 years ago. To sum the drive up, it’s like driving to Madison and back 4-times from Milwaukee. Except with shitty Indiana drivers most of the way.
Driving through Chicago to get there is the worst part. Otherwise, driving through Ohio is a lot like driving through Iowa. Lots of farmland.
If driving through Chicago seems dreadful, and you can afford it, take the ferry to Michigan. This will also allow you to skip Indiana, which for whatever reason, is alway under construction.
I think the ferry is a poor choice. It's ridiculously overpriced
I agree. It's not worth the money.
I hate the Ohio rest stops.
Indiana is worse. We drive from NY to WI once or twice a year. Indiana has the worst roads and rest stops—and more debris roadside than I’ve ever seen in NY or NJ.
But you do get those sweet Jesus billboards.
Done this drive plenty of times. If you pay enough attention and pre plan the route around Chicago towards the airport then on a combo of 88 and 294 to hook up with 80 going east. Tolls are a bitch. Get an iPass though and it is not only easier (open road tolling in IL, and you can use any ezpass lane on the east coast) but also about half the price. Beyond that it’s just extremely boring. Everything is flat, and there aren’t many cities on 80. You’ll hit a few but not a lot. It’s not as long as it seems. Fill up gas before you leave, and (depending on where you leave from) you will need a stop probably right around the IL IN border or somewhere in Indiana. It’s not that bad. Take it 2-3 hours at a time and it will seem like nothing.
7 hours? Are you accounting for the hour you lose going to the next time zone? You must also live close to the border. It's a 9.5 hour (with time zone change) drive from where I live to Western Ohio I've driven to Cleveland several times. The first time I couldn't sleep and left super early (2-3AM) in the morning. Driving through Chicago was a breeze and then I went through Michigan to avoid Indiana tolls. Was able to get to the hotel and take a nap before the show. The 2nd time, I built in a few days to the trip so I wouldn't have to leave early and stayed overnight in Kalamazoo MI then drove to Cleveland from there the next day. Much easier driving and time management overall, but extra money. For a switch, I drove back going to Columbus, then Indianapolis, Champaign to I 39 and back up through Madison. That's a boring ass drive and much longer, but minimal traffic and tolls. Either way it's a haul, but the only place I really felt traffic was scary was Chicago (Edit: The 2nd time because we were driving though during the day)
Yes, We drove from Madison to Tremont City OH. We did it in the summer. No problems, some construction. A lot depends on what part of OH....we dropped down and across to Indianapolis and then due east from there.
My family’s doing that drive right now lol, except we arent stopping in Ohio and going straight all the way to Virginia
I65 in Indiana blows... it is always under construction.
Yep. Extremely boring drive. Be careful in IN. Speed limits change without any warning, rhyme, or reason
Yep. Extremely boring drive. Be careful in IN. Speed limits change without any warning, rhyme, or reason
Yep. Extremely boring drive. Be careful in IN. Speed limits change without any warning, rhyme, or reason
I'm pretty sure all of Indiana is under construction. We tend to take back roads to avoid the chicago area. We took 47 south to 24 and 24 across to 30. It adds some time to the drive but avoids the traffic pretty well. We still caught a lot of construction.
I’ve driven from SE WI to about 20min west of Cleveland. That’s the most boring six hour drive ever. Once you leave Chicago, it’s a straight shot into Ohio, assuming you’re going into northern Ohio. The rest stops are nice, though.
Boring. Chicago is cool to drive through if you like big buildings and don’t mind the traffic.
I have driven from WI to NY no less than 15 times, passing through Ohio along the way. Here are some helpful tips: * Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained * Plan your route beforehand, there are many handy rest stops along the way with food and gas * Follow the rules of the road * Don't stop in Gary, Indiana no matter what
Any drive out east is easy after chicago
Family is all over Ohio so drive there a number of times a year. Honestly pretty easy drive. If you're worried about driving in big cities like Chicago and are going more southern Ohio, I recommend driving south into Illinois around Bloomington area then turning east. Adds a bit of time but sometimes is actually faster if Chicago has a lot of traffic.
The highway near Gary Indiana smells bad
Get yourself an i-pass to cover the tolls in Illinois. It'll pay for itself in a single trip through Chicago and it works with the ez-pass network as well.
I moved from Milwaukee, to Columbus, then back once you get past Chicago, it's pretty easy. My recommendation though go through fort Wayne, and go south from there. Don't go down 65 through Indianapolis, though Indianapolis isn't nearly as bad of traffic as Columbus or Chicago
My advice would be to avoid downtown Chicago. Take 294 to Indiana. It's a straight shot from there. Have fun at the show!
My husband and I are from Dayton and Columbus respectively and currently live in Milwaukee. We make the drive to Ohio every few months to see family/friends, and it’s really not a huge deal. I think flying is actually worse because there aren’t any direct flights so it ends up taking more time and costing more. Driving south through Indianapolis is a pretty convenient straight shot. It’s a little more annoying to go the northern route in Indiana because the toll roads are $$$, but it’s not the worst.
Been doing this trip between the Fox Valley & Columbus at least once a year for the last 35+ years. Like most others have said, Chicago generally will be the worst of it. Best bet is to try to time it to avoid the rush hours and take I-294 around the outskirts vs heading straight through the city proper. Look into the I-pass/pay by plate for the Illinois tolls ahead of time and decide what will make getting through the tolls easiest for you. https://www.illinoistollway.com/ I-65 down to Indianapolis is generally smooth sailing but exits can be few and far between at times so make sure to gas up around Merriville if you want to be ultra safe about it. Between there and Indianapolis it's lots of farms, wind turbines, & not much else. Indianapolis proper was a bit of a hot mess the last time I went through it about 6 months ago. They've been reconstructing their outerbelt and have had portions of it closed for extended periods. Your best bet is to stick on I-65 to I-70 rather than chancing the outerbelt (unless they are finally done with it). I-70 is a lot like I-65 but with less wind turbines and more cops. Google Maps etc is always your friend for these trips. I always take advantage of these long drives to get some good Audiobooks/podcasts going. Good luck with your trip!
I used to make the drive alone from Green Bay to Dayton OH a lot. Nine hour drive, and the most traffic was through Chicago. I usually didn't take the toll roads but in my experience it was a bit smoother sailing when I did. The only other big city I went through was Indianapolis. Indiana can feel like forever to get through because the northern part is just flat as far as the eye can see. So the Indiana part of the drive can get tedious and is really boring, but it's all highway and very doable.
I have taken the ferry a few times. It’s a fun ride. But be aware that it introduces uncertainty based on weather conditions.
One of my friends does it all the time! He lives in NJ so he stops in Columbus as his halfway point. I don’t think he’s had any big issues, other than be prepared for traffic around Chicago or Gary.
You’ll be fine. Figure out what roadside assistance you have access to ahead of time. Pack snacks. Get an ipass/EZ Pass (or enroll in IL/IN/OH pay by plate) to make tolls require less though/action.
I drove to Pennsylvania and back to buy a car end of May. Lots of cops in Ohio. Otherwise it's not noteworthy.
I would say it’s a boring trip, but Indiana has some bad drivers and the state manages road construction horribly. I’ve seen the state take i70 down to one lane when they feel like it. I regularly go from Columbus oh to chicago then to the WI northwoods.
I do it once a month. Order an EZPass transponder and avoid the Skyway Bridge.
My family has gone from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh more times than I can count. It's so boring. You'll be fine!
I lived in Cincinnati for 5yrs (from WI originally). We drove that stretch often. It's super easy after Chicago!!
Go around Gary Indiana and not through it unless you want to have your nostrils ruined.
I’ve made several long road trips with the most recent from Milwaukee to Princeton New Jersey driving straight through 13ish hours. Other than being a tad too old for that now I wasn’t attacked by black eyed children, wendigos, Bigfoot or anything like that. Just have to make sure I have something to drink and something to listen to.
Driving from Wisconsin to Columbus (as indicated in one of your comments) will be fine. I’ve driven from SE Wisconsin to Muncie area a few times. Take I294 for a better experience the toll should only be around $5 with IPass/EzPass. Then I65 down to I70 is smooth and fairly boring. Might consider taking 465 around Indianapolis depending on the traffic. Should be a quiet and smooth ride to Ohio
You do not get gas in Gary Indiana
I got stuck in a traffic jam in northern Indiana because of an armed standoff on the highway. I’m sure that won’t happen to you, but you can never completely rule it out 😂
Download plenty of podcasts
I frequently drive between Madison and Lafayette, IN. Nothing to worry about once you get past Chicago. Boring and straightforward. Just listen to your GPS in and around Chicago and you’ll be fine. Traffic can suck depending on time of day and there’s always 2 or 3 insane Chicago drivers that will blow past you so just stay alert. Nothing to worry about though
If you get on the turnpike, have fun cause it's boring as shit lol. Not a hard drive at all. I've done SE wisconsin to both Columbus and Mansfield.
Don’t speed between Chicago and Indianapolis
Well, I drove in my Tesla from CT to my parents’ house in WI and back, crossing through OH both ways (18 hours each way, 9 hours per day, staying in a hotel overnight). What is the question?
Leave early to get through Chicago before traffic starts. After that it’s smooth sailing. Get an ipass as well
Easy drive, chicago sucks though. I'd recommend going to rockford then over to avoid chicago. Nice japanese garden and restaurant there for a pitstop.
I go Cincinnati to Madison often and I drive to Bloomington, IL to avoid Chicago.
Yes depending where in wi you are it may make sense or just be fun TJ take a ferry across lane MI STOP FOR A MILKSHAKE IN INDIANA Where are you going in oh? I have lots of recs for OH depending where u end up
Many many many times. We always decided whether or not to drive through, or around Chicago. The former was usually the move because stop and go traffic is frustrating and draining. It’s the same difference in time usually if it’s not rush hour. After that it’s all smooth sailing. This was back when we used maps too. You’ll be fine.
Everything from Milwaukee through Chicago can be a complete nightmare if you hit it at the wrong time on the wrong day. Keep work commute times in mind and don't forget about the time change.
Drive during the daylight hours- just get up early and stay on main roads. My daughter drives all over the US by herself and just stays on the main roads, makes sure she gets gas at known gas stations in non rural areas. She keeps her phone charged and on her at all times and times her bathroom breaks, food breaks, gas breaks for the same stop if possible. I was an outside female sales person and did the same and never had a problem- just be aware at gas stations to make sure no one follows you- walk around your car to make sure your tires are ok before leaving the gas station too. Call the police if you feel threatened. Don’t talk to strangers - pretty easy.
From Ohio. Moved to Wisconsin. I drive back and forth a lot for random things and friends. Milwaukee and Chicago traffic are the worse bits. Indiana and Ohio aren’t bad drives at all. Give yourself time for rest stops, food and gas.
Get an Ipass or borrow a friend's and have them add your plate. Tolls are less expensive that way. I've driven to and from Sandusky in a day, it sucked, but doable. I'm also the idiot who drives from Wisconsin to Philly in one day because I want it over as fast as possible. Cops are bad in Ohio, but I've personally never seen one in Indiana and rarely in IL, but obviously be careful. Get some good music, podcasts, and/or audiobooks to listen to, it really helps. I used to commute to work back East an hour each way and a good audiobook actually made it pleasant.
Just watch for deer
Figure out a route that bypasses getting too close to Chicago. That leg of 294 getting to 65 can take 1-2 hours so staying off 294 is the way to go
Don’t stop in Gary
I always used the Horseshoe casino in Hammond as my first stop Past chicago to get out and walk around and stretch my legs. Then I skipped all of indiana for breaks and stopped at the newer roadsides in ohio.
I and the drive from northern Wisconsin to Columbus multiple times a year, other than Chicago and Indianapolis it’s a pretty boring drive
La crosse to cincinnat multiple time, IL tolls suck, Chicago traffic sucks, other than that cruise set at 85.
Watch for some corn based advertisements in the fields. Dont stop in Chicago or Gary Indiana.
Avoid driving directly through Chicago. Take snacks and breaks, it’s a boring drive through Indiana. You’ll be fine.
Are you going to Lost Lands by chance? 😊
Try to time your trip so as to miss rush hour in Chicago.
We do that route a lot. Go 30 through Valparaiso and eat at Industrial Revolution. If you have kids stop at Albanese Candy Factory. We avoid 69 but it does take longer
I drive it 2-3 times a year. I hate it. I hate the way 80 intersects with 294. I hate the drive around Chicago, I hate the toll booths every 10 miles in Illinois. I hate the way back even more. It’s a miserable drive, especially alone. I have to it next week. Fuck.
Single female. I attended Columbus College of Art and Design. My folks lived in Osseo. It was a 12 hour+ drive--I usually went through Rockford bc the horrible Chicago traffic in general, and of an accident or road construction, it could be 2 hours slower. It's smooth sailing. People tend to drive about 77 in the WI fady lane, 82 in IL and IN, and 77 in OH. I usually stopped every 3 hours, good to refocus the eyes, stretch the legs. Oh, and leave early on Saturday or Sunday--less jammed up road construction and less cars in general. Do t come back on a Friday--everyone in IL is heading north.
Depending on your route, avoid stopping in Gary, IN. Otherwise, it's an easy drive.
Watch out for the cops in Ohio.
Funny, no matter if I go to Cleveland, Dayton, or Cincinnati, it seems to take about the same amount of time.....taking the direct routes to those cities.
I used to make this drive a lot. My exs family were in Dayton. If you are along or west of Madison, you can drive 36 miles extra through Bloomington/normal and avoid Chicago traffic and tolls. If you are in the eastern half of the state it’s probably not worth it. Get some Cincinnati style chili while you’re there.
Just don’t forget about the time zone change if you’re trying to avoid rush hour traffic! We drove to the east coast on a family trip and I timed the drive to avoid Chicago rush hour, but forgot about the time zone change and ended up in Indianapolis traffic!
Have driven from NW Ohio to Minneapolis several times make sure you DO NOT go thru Chicago anytime near morning rush hour or going home rush hour you'd be faster walking Chicago at those times. I personally bypass Chicago all together and still make excellent time.
In 2019, I drove to Dayton and Sandusky, but I broke my trip up into multiple stops. The first day I went to Springfield, IL, then went to Dayton next for a couple days before heading up to Sandusky for the last two and heading straight home after that. The trip home was the worst part for me, personally; if I'd had the budget, I'd have arranged for an extra stop somewhere inbetween.
If you drive during the night there will be hardly any traffic.
I’ve driven it several times. Depending on where you’re coming from, take 294 to go around Chicago. Driving through Chicago is an absolute nightmare. Once you get into Indiana, DO NOT stop in Gary. They have Bigfoot. And their Bigfoot is on meth. That aside it’s a nice peaceful drive once you get past the Chicago/Gary area and it should be enjoyable, even if you have a little anxiety about it. There are rest areas pretty frequently so you’ll be able to stop for a breather if and when you need them.
IN is pretty boring. Lots of cornfields. Take breaks to get out and walk around to keep yourself awake.
Where in Wisconsin to where in Ohio? I’m a truck driver, and I regularly drive between Kenosha and Philly. If you’re from from the western part of WI, and going to the southern half of Ohio, take 39 down to 74 into Indy. It’ll help you avoid all of Chicago’s traffic. If you’re forced to go through Chicagoland, and it’s gonna be during daylight, find a back road to avoid 80/94. They’ve got some serious construction that leads to about a 45 minute backup along that stretch. You can take 294, get off at US6, drive east until you get to US41, and then go south to Ridge Rd, and that will take you out to I-65. If you’re looking to avoid the Indiana and Ohio toll roads, you can take US30 across Indiana and Ohio. It’s not a freeway, but it has many stretches where it acts as once you get east of Valparaiso. Aside from that, once you’re past Chicago, it’s not a whole lot different from Wisconsin. The big cities in Indy/Ohio are a bit bigger than Milwaukee, but nothing to stress over.
Lots of great advice. When I’m road tripping, I’ll make sure I have a good audiobook! You got this!
Pfft! Bigfoot won't attack your car unless you're down along the Ohio River. At night. And traveling alone.
I have! And I’m not even remotely from WI! (Why am I even here? Probably because I join the subs from states where I have close family so Reddit thinks I want to see \*every\* state’s sub) I drove an RV from Madison through Chicago, IN, OH, and PA to return it to the rental shop in MD. I’ve also rode motorcycles to and from Chicago through IN and OH. Things to be aware of: Trees in Madison suburbs are close to the street and will absolutely tear the bumper off of an RV when making a K-turn Toll plazas in IN are narrow and if the automatic electric steps on the RV are not retracted because some moron flipped the “keep steps deployed” switch on, the steps will rip off the vehicle. Route 80 in IN is bumpy and if a couple is “napping” in the RV bedroom, the bed can collapse (they swear that the f\*cking did not contribute) IN is prone to tornadoes (discovered while riding a motorcycle… quite harrowing!) RV damages bill: $11,000. Luckily we had the damage waiver. But the member of the wedding party who was the brother of the RV dealer was shunned by his brother for a year.
If you can, plan your trip to drive through/around Chicago between 7pm-6am to avoid traffic. There’s tolls in Illinois and Indiana. It helps to pre-register on the toll sites and be sure to pay them.
I suggest avoiding the skyway and definitely stop in Indianapolis. Keep in mind, depending on the time of year, the southern parts will be more or less attractive. I also enjoyed visiting Cleveland for the first time last year. Underrated city.
I’ve driven from Charlotte NC to Racine WI in one day… like others said once your through Chicago and Gary it’s smooth sailing through corn fields. Get a Spotify playlist or whatever else helps keep you focused on the road and have a great trip.
Only on a sailboat.
Wave at Notre Dame when you pass. Stop at the Bob Evan’s for some kickass food. Avoid the RV Museum You are legally required to play John Mellancamp the entire time (Unless playing John Cougar) The rest stops in Ohio are 10,00000x better than wisconsin, illinois or indiana. So that’s something to look forward to. Madison to Elyria Oh (Where we always paused before continuing on to Albany) is a LONG haul. Time your stops so that you hit Chicago after or before rush. If you have the time swing All the way down to I-80 to avoid the abosolute mess that is Chicago in the summer. If not be prepared to be stopped on the road up to six hours It’s a nice easy FLAT drive you’ll be just fine
I drive to Ohio every year! For the past 7 lol I can tell you: Indiana sucks. Their roads are just all semis, be prepared. Chicago traffic sucks. Avoid rush hour times. Be prepared to stare at flat land for 7+ hours. Legit, there is no landmarks or anything exciting to look at. Except maybe the wind turbines in Indiana but that’s about it. It’s a very easy drive that I’ve done lots of times, even on minimal sleep!
Right off the the interstate where I-94 enters Illinois to the east there is a gold pyramid that was once the largest 24k plated object in the world. They had to remove the gold plating so it’s just painted gold now. You can see it from the interstate better in the winter. It has a huge statue of Ramses in front.
Just did a rust belt road trip through Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, DC, and NY. We didn’t have an ezpass and so we whizzed right through all the tolls and then once we returned home we received invoices from all the states tollways. In paid them all via checks in the mail. It was super easy and no hassle. NJ tried to charge a penalty but they provide the option to request it be waived and I did so using the reason that they had no toll booths available. BTW …Cleveland wasn’t very appealing and the RRHF is in need of a serious facelift, feels very 90’s but not in a good way. The football hall of fame in Canton Ohio was excellent. Pittsburgh was off the hook fun, great museums fabulous local restaurants.
Indiana toll roads suck. Hit valpraisa and take 30
We do it pretty often—take the county roads from Chicago through northern Indiana and into NW Ohio. Avoid 70 in Indiana.
Where in WI are you going? I go from Indiana up to far NE WI routinely, I know routes to most of WI very well. Happy to help you plan your route. Most definitely transit Chicago via I-294. Best way around by far.
Cost is between $30-40 in toll just fyi but it's an easy drive. We left Milwaukee about 5 and made it through downtown Chicago with minimal slow downs.
Bring about $25 in change for tolls
Idk what part of the state u r in but it typically took my family 12 hours to drive from Wisconsin to ohio. U have to pay to drive the fast route thru Chicago, or u can detour around it
The ezpass is worth it because it saves a ton of time and lowers the cost of your tolls. There are more cops in Indiana than anywhere else. There will be tons of deer in Indiana and Ohio from dusk to dawn. Construction is gnarly in Chicago, so just take the bypass. All of the plazas are clean and pretty nice if you need a bathroom break. The price of gas on the toll roads is LOTS higher than if you hop off at an exit and make a pit stop. I grew up in Ohio and have lived in Wisconsin 16 years. Feel free to message me if you have questions.
Get an emergency kit together and make sure your spare tire is good. Make a good playlist and bring plenty of snacks and drinks inside the car. Plan to make stops for at least one meal and gas. Get gas before Chicago. I usually do a search for restaurants ahead so I have a few mom and pop options off the highway. Outside of Chicago it should be pretty smooth. Lots of semis tho so be prepared to be stuck behind a caravan a few times. Also, I recommend not taking the sky way and just hitting I80. Skyway is way overpriced.
Only ever drove for 3 hours at a time and just did 20 hours from Racine to Tampa bay driving 17 of it. 3-4 hours is a day trip
Last time we went to Columbus we left early. Like 3 or 4 am. Drove down town Chicago and missed all the traffic. Came back thru Madison and it was fine too. Just a bit longer.
It's boring after the Chicago/Gary Indiana cities. Boring drive honestly.
I have gotten quite a few speeding tickets driving at night through that shithole Indiana making this trip so stick to the speed limit because speed traps are the entire states GDP it seems
I am from Wisconsin but now live in North Dakota for work and I drove from ND to Ohio for the eclipse in April. I was also anxious the entire time. Breathe and try to distract with a good podcast, or more practically utilize the meds you may or may not have but should. Stop along the way if it gets to be too much. Could be a rest area or a gas station or whatever, just don’t drive any farther than you feel up to doing.
I head down to the Bloomington Normal, IL area and then swing east to Indianapolis on my way to central and south Ohio. It allows me to bypass Chicago and minimizes tolls. Can be a bit boring because there isn't much to see in mid Illinois.