Origin
Gary, IN
Late night in Gary on Tuesday
Local time
2:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gary, IN to Buck Creek, IN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 48m
Distance
93.1 mi
150 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 41m
★
6 AM
1h 49m
8 AM
2h 5m
10 AM
1h 54m
12 PM
1h 53m
3 PM
1h 55m
5 PM
2h 4m
8 PM
1h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gary, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Buck Creek, IN
Dmytro Koplyk
Trip Overview
The drive from Gary, IN to Buck Creek, IN covers 93.1 miles and takes about 1h 48m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway, SR 25, Martin Luther King Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 82.6 miles on Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.43 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
46.5 miles from Gary, IN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 55m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway | 82.6 mi | 1h 29m |
| SR 25 | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Martin Luther King Drive | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| West 15th Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| Railroad Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Hoosier Heartland Highway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East 450 North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Madison Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
— 82.6 mi, about 1h 29m
Traffic on I-65
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 76 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,629 veh/hr typical · worst 2,359
Quietest
2 AM
~282 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gary, IN and Buck Creek, IN.
1
Start on 10th Place
55 ft
·
4 sec
·
10th Place
2
Turn right onto Harrison Street
480 ft
·
28 sec
·
Harrison Street
3
Turn left onto West 11th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
West 11th Avenue
4
Turn right onto Madison Street
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
Madison Street
5
Turn left onto West 15th Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West 15th Avenue
6
Continue on Central Avenue
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Central Avenue
7
Turn right onto Martin Luther King Drive
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Martin Luther King Drive
8
Turn left onto US 6 Business
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
East Ridge Road
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
10
Merge onto I 65
83 mi
·
1 hr 29 min
·
Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 175
Toward SR 25: Delphi, Lafayette
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left onto SR 25
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Hoosier Heartland Highway
13
Enter roundabout onto SR 25
9 ft
·
0 sec
·
SR 25
14
Continue on SR 25
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
SR 25
15
Turn right onto East 450 North
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
East 450 North
16
Continue on Railroad Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Railroad Street
17
Arrive at destination
Railroad Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 46.5 miles from Gary, IN, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 82.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 20 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 46.5 miles or 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 27m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Buck Creek, IN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Gary, IN so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Gary, IN
This is one driving day of about 93.1 miles and 1h 48m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Gary, IN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway for about 82.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
47 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 20 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 46.5 miles from Gary, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 82.6 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 87.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Harrison Street
Turn right onto Harrison Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 11th Avenue
Turn left onto West 11th Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Madison Street
Turn right onto Madison Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 65 / Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 65 / Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
87.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 39m in
Take the exit toward SR 25: Delphi, Lafayette
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 175
Toward SR 25: Delphi, Lafayette
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.43 one way
$28.87 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
33 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $15.83 | $31.65 |
| premium | $4.93 | $18.06 | $36.13 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $20.52 | $41.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 32.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 27.9 | 0 | $9.78 | $4.47 |
| Efficient EV | 23.3 | 0 | $8.15 | $3.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 37.2 | 0 | $13.03 | $5.96 |
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Buck Creek, IN
Late night in Buck Creek on Tuesday
Local time
3:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
1 hour later
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
2 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
1h 48m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Indiana Dunes National Park
National Park
Lake Michigan's might has influenced Indiana Dunes for millennia. Wind and waves have shaped the land, leaving a rich mosaic of habitats along these 15 miles of Indiana coast. Over 50 miles of trails...
12 mi from route
~31 min detour
$20
near mile 3.2
Caution: Water Safety Alert
Park Closure: Trail Closure - Dunewood Trace
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
93.1 mi in 1h 48m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 82.6 mi on Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Harrison Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 48m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Harrison Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West 11th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Madison Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
743 ft
546 ft
Total Climb
412 ft
Total Descent
351 ft
Highest Point
743 ft
~73.1 mi in
Elevation Range
196 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Gary, IN to Buck Creek, IN, road signs begin pointing toward Lafayette along the way.
Lafayette
87.4 mi in
|
~1h 39m
About the Cities
Starting in Gary, IN
Full guide →Founded 1906
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the legendary pop star Michael Jackson. Founded in 1906 as a company town for U.S. Steel, it thrived in the 1950s and early 60s and earned the nickname "The Magic City". In 2007, it was described by writer Jessica Hopper as "the Pompeii of the Midwest, a city of ruins where life can seem to have just suddenly stopped".
Top landmarks
- • Van Buren Terrace Historic District — historic district in Indiana, United States
- • Gary City Center Historic District — historic district in Gary, Indiana
- • Union Station — former railroad station in Gary, Indiana, United States
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 1h 48m. Total distance: 93.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (4%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 82.6 miles on Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (Harrison Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West 11th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Madison Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Indiana Dunes National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buck Creek, IN before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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