Origin
Merrillville, IN
Late night in Merrillville on Tuesday
Local time
3:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Merrillville, IN to Portage, IN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
14 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Merrillville, IN
Choco Kitty
Portage, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Merrillville, IN to Portage, IN is 14 miles and takes about 26 minutes via Central Avenue/Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway/Broadway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest and Indiana, offering a straightforward local drive. It’s a quick trip that’s easy to fit into any schedule, making it ideal for a day trip or a simple relocation between nearby towns. You won't be spending much time on the road, so focus on enjoying the local scenery as you navigate.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Avenue | 5.7 mi | 11m |
| Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| Broadway | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East 61st Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Indian Trail | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Central Avenue
— 5.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Merrillville, IN and Portage, IN.
1
Start on Indian Trail
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Indian Trail
2
At end of road, turn right onto SR 53
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Broadway
3
Turn right onto East 61st Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
East 61st Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 65 North: Chicago
5
Merge onto I 65
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway
6
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 259B
Toward I 80 East, I 94 East, US 6 East: Toledo, Detroit
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 13
Toward Central Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto Central Avenue
4.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Central Avenue
9
Continue on Central Avenue
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Central Avenue
10
Arrive at destination
Central Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SR 53 / Broadway
At end of road, turn right onto SR 53 / Broadway
Navigation decision point
6
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
East 61st Avenue
Turn right onto East 61st Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
3
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 65 North: Chicago
Navigation decision point
Toward I 65 North: Chicago
8
7.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East, I 94 East, US 6 East: Toledo, Detroit
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 259B
Toward I 80 East, I 94 East, US 6 East: Toledo,...
8
8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Central Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13
Toward Central Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.19 one way
$4.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.40 | $4.81 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.69 | $5.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
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.
Destination
Portage, IN
Late night in Portage on Tuesday
Local time
3:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
1 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
26m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized by its frequent turns, making it a 'turn-heavy local drive' rather than a highway cruise. With 0% highway share, you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire 14 miles. The longest stretch without a turn is 5.7 miles on Central Avenue. Expect a driving experience that involves constant attention to navigation and local traffic patterns, as you'll be on roads like Central Avenue, Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway, and Broadway.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on Central Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near SR 53 / Broadway.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 14 miles you will encounter 6 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: at 0.2 miles (SR 53 / Broadway): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (East 61st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Navigation decision point.
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 Merrillville, IN to Portage, IN, road signs begin pointing toward Detroit along the way.
Detroit
7.2 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Merrillville, IN
Full guide →Merrillville is a city of 36,000 people (2020) in Lake County, Indiana. Merrillville is a hub for retail trade in Northwest Indiana. The US 30 corridor between Taft Street and Colorado Street has a large concentration of big-box retailers, hotels, restaurants, and automobile dealerships.
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 26m. Total distance: 14 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 miles on Central Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 10 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.
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: at 0.2 miles (SR 53 / Broadway): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (East 61st Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: 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 Portage, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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