Origin
Portage, IN
Morning in Portage on Friday
Local time
8:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Portage, IN to Whiting, IN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
24.5 mi
39 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portage, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Whiting, IN
cottonbro studio
Trip Overview
The drive from Portage, IN to Whiting, IN covers 24.5 miles and takes about 33m 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, Calumet Avenue, 119th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.7 miles on Indiana Toll Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Toll Road | 18.7 mi | 20m |
| Calumet Avenue | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| 119th Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Willowcreek Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| 141st Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Oliver Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Indiana Toll Road
— 18.7 mi, about 20m
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 Portage, IN and Whiting, IN.
1
Start on Central Avenue
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Central Avenue
2
Turn right onto Willowcreek Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Willowcreek Road
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
434 ft
·
11 sec
Toward I 80, I 90
4
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
5
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
this road
6
Merge onto I 80; I 90
19 mi
·
20 min
·
Indiana Toll Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 5
Toward US 41: Hammond, Calumet Avenue
Use the right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 5
Toward US 41: Hammond, Calumet Avenue
9
Turn straight onto 141st Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
141st Street
10
Turn right onto US 41
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Calumet Avenue
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto 119th Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
119th Street
12
Turn left onto Oliver Street
161 ft
·
14 sec
·
Oliver Street
13
Turn left
30 ft
·
2 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 21 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Willowcreek Road
Turn right onto Willowcreek Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
8
20.2 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward US 41: Hammond, Calumet Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 5
Toward US 41: Hammond, Calumet Avenue
7
20.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 41: Hammond, Calumet Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 5
Toward US 41: Hammond, Calumet Avenue
6
21 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 41 / Calumet Avenue
Turn right onto US 41 / Calumet Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.80 one way
$7.60 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $4.17 | $8.33 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.75 | $9.51 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.40 | $10.80 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.31
Indiana Toll Road
(18.7 mi)
$1.31
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.57 | $1.18 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.43 | $1.57 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Whiting, IN
Morning in Whiting on Friday
Local time
8:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
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
33m 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?
24.5 mi in 33m 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.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on Indiana Toll Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Willowcreek Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 24.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Willowcreek Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
638 ft
585 ft
Total Climb
44 ft
Total Descent
94 ft
Highest Point
638 ft
~1.8 mi in
Elevation Range
53 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Portage, IN
Full guide →Founded 1967
Portage is a town in Northwestern Indiana. It's industrialized, but not quite as heavily as Gary to the west.
Arriving in Whiting, IN
Full guide →Founded 1889
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 33m. Total distance: 24.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.7 miles on Indiana Toll Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.31 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 Whiting, 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 0.4 miles (Willowcreek Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Whiting, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Whiting, IN
Explore more options from Portage, IN or browse trips ending in Whiting, IN.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IN road trips.