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Trip from Gary, IN to Hawthorne Hills, IN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

32m

Distance

15.3 mi

25 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 29m ★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m

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

Best Time
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Download GPX
city in Lake County, State of Indiana, United States

Gary, IN

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Hawthorne Hills, IN, IN

Hawthorne Hills, IN

Anthony Brown

Trip Overview

Gary, IN to Hawthorne Hills, IN is 15.3 miles and takes about 32 minutes via Main Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Indiana's Midwest region, offering a straightforward local drive. Given its brief distance, this trip is ideal for a single day, allowing you to reach your destination with plenty of time to spare. It’s a practical option for quickly getting from one point to another within the local area without significant travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Main Street 4.8 mi 9m
Taft Street 4 mi 6m
Richard G. Hatcher Boulevard 2.7 mi 4m
South Main Street 1.3 mi 3m
West 15th Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
Harrison Boulevard 0.4 mi 1m
Cedar Lake Road 0.4 mi 1m
Cleveland Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Main Street — 4.8 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gary, IN and Hawthorne Hills, IN.

1

Start on 10th Place

254 ft · 18 sec · 10th Place
2

Turn left onto Harrison Boulevard

0.4 mi · 1 min · Harrison Boulevard
3

Turn right onto West 15th Avenue

0.5 mi · 56 sec · West 15th Avenue
4

Turn left onto Richard G. Hatcher Boulevard

2.7 mi · 4 min · Richard G. Hatcher Boulevard
5

Turn right onto US 6 Business

0.3 mi · 41 sec · West Ridge Road
6

Turn left onto SR 55

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Cleveland Street
Use the left lane.
7

Continue on SR 55

2.6 mi · 5 min · Main Street
8

Continue on SR 55

4.0 mi · 6 min · Taft Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
9

Continue on SR 55

2.2 mi · 4 min · Main Street
Use the right lane.
10

Turn right onto US 231; SR 55

295 ft · 7 sec · West Clark Street
Use the right lane.
11

Turn left onto US 231; SR 55

380 ft · 13 sec · North Court Street
12

Turn left onto US 231; SR 55

298 ft · 8 sec · West Joliet Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
13

Turn right onto South Main Street

1.3 mi · 3 min · South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14

Turn right onto West Franciscan Drive

0.3 mi · 58 sec · West Franciscan Drive
15

Continue on 121st Avenue

0.1 mi · 37 sec · 121st Avenue
16

Turn left onto Cedar Lake Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Cedar Lake Road
17

Turn right onto West 123rd Place

0.2 mi · 45 sec · West 123rd Place
18

Arrive at destination

West 123rd Place

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.1 — 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 Boulevard

Turn left onto Harrison Boulevard

Navigation decision point

6
3.9 mi into trip | ~7m in | SR 55 / Cleveland Street

Turn left onto SR 55 / Cleveland Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
12.9 mi into trip | ~24m in | US 231; SR 55 / West Clark Street

Turn right onto US 231; SR 55 / West Clark Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
13.1 mi into trip | ~25m in | US 231; SR 55 / West Joliet Street

Turn left onto US 231; SR 55 / West Joliet Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
5
13.1 mi into trip | ~25m in | South Main Street

Turn right onto South Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.26 one way

$4.52 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $2.49 $4.99
premium $4.72 $2.84 $5.68
diesel $4.80 $2.89 $5.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.6 0 $1.61 $0.73
Efficient EV 3.8 0 $1.34 $0.61
EV Truck/SUV 6.1 0 $2.14 $0.98

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Jul 5, 2026

Origin

Gary, IN

Afternoon in Gary on Sunday

Local time

2:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

N 15 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 5 at 3:34PM CDT until July 6 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 5 at 11:27AM CDT until July 12 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Destination

Hawthorne Hills, IN

Afternoon in Hawthorne Hills on Sunday

Local time

2:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

N 10 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 5 at 3:34PM CDT until July 6 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 5 at 11:27AM CDT until July 12 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

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

3 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

32m 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 on this route, with a highway share of 0%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you’ll encounter is 4.8 miles along Main Street. You'll primarily navigate local roads, including Main Street, Taft Street, and Richard G. Hatcher Boulevard, so be prepared for frequent turns and intersections. This isn't a high-speed journey; it's more about navigating through community streets and understanding local traffic patterns.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.8 mi on Main Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Harrison Boulevard.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.3 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Harrison Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 3.9 miles (SR 55 / Cleveland Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.9 miles (US 231; SR 55 / West Clark Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

768 ft 597 ft

Total Climb

206 ft

Total Descent

40 ft

Highest Point

768 ft

~14.2 mi in

Elevation Range

172 ft

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 32m. Total distance: 15.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.8 miles on Main Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Hawthorne Hills, 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 (Harrison Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 3.9 miles (SR 55 / Cleveland Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.9 miles (US 231; SR 55 / West Clark Street): Lane positioning matters here.

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 Hawthorne Hills, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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