Gary, IN to Kentland, IN is 69.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 28 minutes via Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway and US 41, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region and the state of Indiana, making it a straightforward local excursion. You'll primarily navigate surface roads for most of this drive. Given its manageable length and duration, this route is ideal for a single-day trip, offering a practical way to get from point A to point B without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
37.2 mi
40m
US 41
17.1 mi
21m
State Road 14
9.2 mi
12m
Martin Luther King Drive
2.5 mi
4m
West 15th Avenue
1 mi
1m
East Dunlap Street
0.4 mi
1m
Madison Street
0.3 mi
<1m
East Ridge Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
— 37.2 mi, about 40m
Traffic on I-65
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,963 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,344
Quietest
1 AM
~264 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 55 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 Kentland, 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
37 mi·40 min·Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·46 sec
Exit 220Toward SR 14: WinamacUse the slight right lane.
12
Turn right onto SR 14
9.2 mi·12 min·State Road 14
13
Turn left onto US 41
17 mi·21 min·US 41
14
Turn right onto East Dunlap Street
0.4 mi·1 min·East Dunlap Street
15
Turn right onto North 3rd Street
55 ft·2 sec·North 3rd Street
16
Arrive at destination
North 3rd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 34.6 miles from Gary, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 41.9 — 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.
7
41.9 mi into trip|~51m in
Take the exit toward SR 14: Winamac
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 220
Toward SR 14: Winamac
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.71 one way
$21.43 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg24 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$11.75
$23.49
premium
$4.93
$13.41
$26.81
diesel
$5.60
$15.23
$30.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
20.7
0
$7.26
$3.32
Efficient EV
17.3
0
$6.05
$2.76
EV Truck/SUV
27.6
0
$9.67
$4.42
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Forecast as of Aug 23, 2026
Origin
Gary, IN
Night
in Gary on Saturday
Local time
10:02 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Mostly Sunny
NNE 10 to 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued August 23 at 11:49AM EDT until August 24 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued August 23 at 11:49AM EDT until August 24 at 4:00PM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN
Destination
Kentland, IN
Night
in Kentland on Saturday
Local time
10:02 PM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Mostly Sunny
NNW 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued August 23 at 11:49AM EDT until August 24 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued August 23 at 11:49AM EDT until August 24 at 4:00PM EDT by NWS Indianapolis IN
61°F
Shelby, IN
35 mi in
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
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 28m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only about 25% of the route on highways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 37.2 miles on Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect a more rural cruising feel once you leave the main highway segments. The transitions between these road types are frequent, so keep an eye on your speed.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37.2 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 Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 28m 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.
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
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 37.2 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 Kentland, IN before heading back.
