Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 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
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gary, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Hawthorne Hills, IN
Anthony Brown
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.
| 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 |
Step-by-step road directions between Gary, IN and Hawthorne Hills, IN.
Start on 10th Place
Turn left onto Harrison Boulevard
Turn right onto West 15th Avenue
Turn left onto Richard G. Hatcher Boulevard
Turn right onto US 6 Business
Turn left onto SR 55
Continue on SR 55
Continue on SR 55
Continue on SR 55
Turn right onto US 231; SR 55
Turn left onto US 231; SR 55
Turn left onto US 231; SR 55
Turn right onto South Main Street
Turn right onto West Franciscan Drive
Continue on 121st Avenue
Turn left onto Cedar Lake Road
Turn right onto West 123rd Place
Arrive at destination
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.
Turn left onto Harrison Boulevard
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto SR 55 / Cleveland Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto US 231; SR 55 / West Clark Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 231; SR 55 / West Joliet Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.08 one way
$4.16 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $2.32 | $4.64 |
| premium | $4.15 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $2.26 | $4.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way.
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Gary on Sunday
Local time
10:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Cloudy then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Destination
Night in Hawthorne Hills on Sunday
Local time
10:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Cloudy then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
206 ft
Total Descent
40 ft
Highest Point
768 ft
~14.2 mi in
Elevation Range
172 ft
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
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.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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