Origin
Clayton, IN
Late night in Clayton on Sunday
Local time
3:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clayton, IN to Indianapolis, IN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
22.9 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clayton, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a straightforward commute between Clayton and Indianapolis, this 22.9-mile journey is a practical choice. You can easily complete the trip in about 38 minutes, making it a perfect day excursion that requires no overnight stay. Navigating primarily via West Washington Street, West Main Street, and Old National Road, you will find this path keeps you off the interstate entirely. With a fuel budget of just $3, it is an economical way to move between these two Midwestern locations. This route is best suited for those who prefer local roads over high-speed highway travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Washington Street | 7 mi | 10m |
| West Main Street | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Old National Road | 4 mi | 6m |
| Dwight D Eisenhower Highway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Kentucky Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| South Holt Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Meridian Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South Illinois Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Washington Street
— 7 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clayton, IN and Indianapolis, IN.
1
Start on this road
174 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Michigan Street
166 ft
·
9 sec
·
Michigan Street
3
Turn right onto Pennsylvania Street
250 ft
·
16 sec
·
Pennsylvania Street
4
Turn left onto SR 39
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Kentucky Street
5
Turn slight right onto SR 39
369 ft
·
6 sec
·
Morgan Street
6
Turn left onto US 40
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Old National Road
7
Continue on US 40
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
West Main Street
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 40
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
West Washington Street
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto South Holt Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Holt Road
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 70 East
11
Merge onto I 70
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 79B
Toward Illinois Street, Meridian Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward Illinois Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Continue on South Illinois Street
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
South Illinois Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Turn right onto West South Street
511 ft
·
25 sec
·
West South Street
Use the right lane.
16
Turn left onto South Meridian Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Meridian Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto Monument Circle
365 ft
·
42 sec
·
Monument Circle
18
Turn right
76 ft
·
6 sec
19
At end of road, turn right
257 ft
·
28 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Michigan Street
Turn right onto Michigan Street
Navigation decision point
8
21.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Illinois Street, Meridian Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 79B
Toward Illinois Street, Meridian Street
8
21.6 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Illinois Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward Illinois Street
6
22.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
West South Street
Turn right onto West South Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
22.3 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
South Meridian Street
Turn left onto South Meridian Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.58 one way
$7.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.41 | $8.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.06 | $10.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Indianapolis, IN
Late night in Indianapolis on Sunday
Local time
3:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
W 9 to 14 mph
91% chance
Live forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 18 at 4:46AM CDT until April 23 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 18 at 4:46AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
10 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel rather than drifting along a monotonous interstate. Because the route has a 0% highway share, you will experience a constant change in scenery and pace as you transition through local streets. Your longest uninterrupted stretch is 7 miles on West Washington Street, providing a brief period of steady driving. The personality of this trip is defined by its local character, requiring your full attention as you navigate through the various town segments. It is a slow, rhythmic drive that feels grounded in the local landscape.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7 mi on West Washington Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Michigan Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 22.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Michigan Street): Navigation decision point; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Indianapolis, IN
Full guide →Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana and also the state’s largest city. Efforts to beautify and modernize the city have brought Indianapolis into the 21st century as a world-class destination for everything from business meetings and trade conventions to backpackers making their way across the States. Indianapolis is widely hailed as the "Racing Capital of the World" because of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 at the Brickyard, and as the "Amateur Sports Capital of America" for hosting the NCAA Hall of Champions. The city has several attractions outside of sports, including museums, a large zoo, over 100 ethnic restaurants, several arts and historic districts, and a revitalized downtown. Although Indy has been mocked with the epithet "India-noplace", visitors will encounter a mix of a large metropolitan city and a simple Midwestern community.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 22.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7 miles on West Washington Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Indianapolis, IN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Michigan Street): Navigation decision point; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Indianapolis, IN before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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