Skip to main content

Trip from Ogden Dunes, IN to South Bend, IN

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

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

59.6 mi

96 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m

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

Downtown Ogden Dunes, IN, IN

Ogden Dunes, IN

fish socks

city and county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States of America

South Bend, IN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Ogden Dunes, IN to South Bend, IN is 59.6 miles and takes about 1h 13m via Indiana Toll Road and I-94, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Indiana, moving you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Expect a mixed drive profile, meaning you'll encounter a variety of road types rather than just one. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing ample time for your destination. It's a straightforward connection between two points in Northern Indiana.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Indiana Toll Road 26.9 mi 28m
I 94 20.6 mi 22m
US 20 3.7 mi 5m
North Michigan Street 1.9 mi 4m
SR 39 1.2 mi 1m
SR 249 1 mi 1m
Dunes Highway 0.8 mi 1m
Hillcrest Road 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Indiana Toll Road — 26.9 mi, about 28m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ogden Dunes, IN and South Bend, IN.

1

Start on Hillcrest Road

508 ft · 22 sec · Hillcrest Road
2

Keep slight right at fork onto Hillcrest Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Hillcrest Road
3

At end of road, turn left onto US 12

0.8 mi · 1 min · Dunes Highway
4

Turn slight right

0.3 mi · 58 sec
5

Turn straight onto SR 249

1.0 mi · 1 min · SR 249
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward I 94 East: Detroit
7

Merge onto I 94

21 mi · 22 min · I 94
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Toward US 20 East, US 35 South: La Porte, South Bend
9

Merge onto US 20

3.7 mi · 5 min · US 20
10

Turn right onto SR 39

1.2 mi · 1 min · SR 39
11

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 38 sec
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 57 sec
13

Merge onto I 80; I 90

27 mi · 28 min · Indiana Toll Road
14

Take the exit

1.2 mi · 2 min
Toward SR 933, BUS US 31: South Bend, Notre Dame
15

Turn right onto SR 933

1.7 mi · 3 min · North Michigan Street
16

Enter roundabout onto SR 933; BUS US 31

156 ft · 8 sec · North Michigan Street
17

Continue on SR 933; BUS US 31

0.1 mi · 27 sec · North Michigan Street
18

Turn left onto East Navarre Street

131 ft · 4 sec · East Navarre Street
19

Arrive at destination

East Navarre Street

Where to Stop

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

city in LaPorte County, Indiana, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

LaPorte, IN

30 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.

Popular next leg

LaPorte, IN to South Bend, IN

26.6 mi · 43m

Pacing Suggestions

Chesterton, IN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

LaPorte, IN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.8 miles from Ogden Dunes, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 56.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Hillcrest Road

Keep slight right at fork onto Hillcrest Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 12 / Dunes Highway

At end of road, turn left onto US 12 / Dunes Highway

Navigation decision point

5
2.8 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 94

Merge onto I 94

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
23.4 mi into trip | ~28m in

Take the exit toward US 20 East, US 35 South: La Porte, South Bend

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 20 East, US 35 South: La Porte, South...
5
56.5 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in

Take the exit toward SR 933, BUS US 31: South Bend, Notre Dame

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward SR 933, BUS US 31: South Bend, Notre Dam...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.32 one way

$18.64 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $10.23 $20.46
premium $4.89 $11.47 $22.94
diesel $5.61 $13.16 $26.32

Estimated Tolls: $1.89

Indiana Toll Road (26.9 mi) $1.89

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$2

Total

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.9 0 $6.26 $2.86
Efficient EV 14.9 0 $5.22 $2.38
EV Truck/SUV 23.8 0 $8.34 $3.81

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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 Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Ogden Dunes, IN

Late night in Ogden Dunes on Sunday

Local time

2:53 AM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

South Bend, IN

Late night in South Bend on Sunday

Local time

3:53 AM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 15 mph 96% chance Live forecast

Time zone

1 hour later

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

Temperature spread

17 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 13m 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?

This drive offers a mixed bag, with 44% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced driving, particularly on the Indiana Toll Road where the longest uninterrupted segment covers 26.9 miles. The route transitions between these more direct highway sections and potentially other road types, keeping the driving experience varied. It’s not a constant interstate grind, nor is it exclusively winding country roads, providing a balanced feel behind the wheel.

44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.9 mi on Indiana Toll Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Hillcrest Road.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.6 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.1 miles (Hillcrest Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.5 miles (US 12 / Dunes Highway): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (I 94): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Ogden Dunes, IN and South Bend, IN, road signs point toward Bend, Bus Us 31: South Bend and Notre Dame.

Bend

23.4 mi in | ~28m

Bus Us 31: South Bend

56.5 mi in | ~1h 6m

Notre Dame

56.5 mi in | ~1h 6m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 59.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 26.9 miles on Indiana Toll Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.89 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.

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 South Bend, 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: at 0.1 miles (Hillcrest Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.5 miles (US 12 / Dunes Highway): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (I 94): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 South Bend, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Ogden Dunes, IN or browse trips ending in South Bend, IN.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IN road trips.