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Trip from Granger, IN to Gary, IN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 25m

Distance

73 mi

117 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 18m ★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 21m

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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Downtown Granger, IN, IN

Granger, IN

MART PRODUCTION

city in Lake County, State of Indiana, United States

Gary, IN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Granger, IN to Gary, IN covers 73 miles and takes about 1h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Indiana Toll Road, Edwardsburg Highway, Madison Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 67.8 miles on Indiana Toll Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.32 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Indiana Toll Road 67.8 mi 1h 13m
Edwardsburg Highway 2 mi 3m
Madison Street 0.7 mi 2m
Adams Road 0.5 mi <1m
Capital Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
West 4th Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
10th Place 0.2 mi <1m
Broadway 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Indiana Toll Road — 67.8 mi, about 1h 13m

Traffic on I-80

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 22 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~3,703 veh/hr typical · worst 4,327

Quietest

2 AM

~554 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

6.7×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 28 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 Granger, IN and Gary, IN.

1

Start on this road

6 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn sharp left

236 ft · 22 sec
3

Turn left

69 ft · 10 sec
4

Turn left onto SR 23

0.5 mi · 52 sec · Adams Road
5

Continue on SR 23

2.0 mi · 3 min · Edwardsburg Highway
6

Turn left onto SR 331

0.3 mi · 40 sec · Capital Avenue
7

Turn left

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward I 80, I 90: Indiana Toll Road
8

Continue on this road

0.1 mi · 16 sec · this road
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 32 sec
10

Merge onto I 80; I 90

68 mi · 1 hr 13 min · Indiana Toll Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Exit 14B Toward SR 53: Broadway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn left onto SR 53

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Broadway
13

Turn right onto US 12; US 20

0.3 mi · 30 sec · West 4th Avenue
14

Turn left onto Madison Street

0.7 mi · 2 min · Madison Street
15

Turn right onto 10th Place

0.2 mi · 57 sec · 10th Place
16

Arrive at destination

10th Place

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Smith, IN, IN

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Smith, IN

37 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

Buchanan, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Smith, IN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 36.5 miles from Granger, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Indiana Toll Road if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 67.8 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 71.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn sharp left

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

5
2.9 mi into trip | ~5m in

Turn left toward I 80, I 90: Indiana Toll Road

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 80, I 90: Indiana Toll Road
5
3.2 mi into trip | ~5m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
3.4 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 80; I 90 / Indiana Toll Road

Merge onto I 80; I 90 / Indiana Toll Road

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
71.2 mi into trip | ~1h 20m in

Take the exit toward SR 53: Broadway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 14B Toward SR 53: Broadway

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.32 one way

$22.64 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 26 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $12.41 $24.82
premium $4.93 $14.16 $28.33
diesel $5.60 $16.09 $32.18

Estimated Tolls: $4.75

Indiana Toll Road (67.8 mi) $4.75

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Tolls

$5

Total

$16

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 21.9 0 $7.67 $3.50
Efficient EV 18.3 0 $6.39 $2.92
EV Truck/SUV 29.2 0 $10.22 $4.67

Gas CO2

26 kg

EV CO2

9 kg (65% 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 30, 2026

Origin

Granger, IN

Afternoon in Granger on Friday

Local time

4:18 PM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 10 to 15 mph 59% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 9:10AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Gary, IN

Afternoon in Gary on Friday

Local time

3:18 PM

CDT

Current temp

80°F

Showers And Thunderstorms then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 10 to 15 mph 76% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 9:10AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

62°F

Smith, IN

37 mi in

Time zone

1 hour earlier

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

3 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 25m 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?

73 mi in 1h 25m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% 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: 67.8 mi on Indiana Toll Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 25m 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: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 2.9 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

862 ft 600 ft

Total Climb

216 ft

Total Descent

414 ft

Highest Point

862 ft

~41.7 mi in

Elevation Range

262 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Granger, IN

Full guide →

Granger is a town on the Columbia River Plateau of Washington State, in the Yakima Valley. The town is decorated with statues of dinosaurs.

Arriving 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 25m. Total distance: 73 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 67.8 miles on Indiana Toll Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $4.75 in tolls one way, starting with Indiana Toll Road. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

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: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 2.9 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

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 Gary, 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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