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Trip from Ray, IN to City of Gary, IN

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 12m

Distance

110.8 mi

178 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$17

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min
4 AM
2h 3m ★
6 AM
2h 13m
8 AM
2h 31m
10 AM
2h 19m
12 PM
2h 17m
3 PM
2h 20m
5 PM
2h 30m
8 PM
2h 7m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Ray, IN, IN

Ray, IN

Dillon Hunt

Downtown City of Gary, IN, IN

City of Gary, IN

Артем Дворецкий

Trip Overview

This 110.8-mile drive from Ray, Indiana, to the City of Gary, Indiana, is a straightforward, highway-focused journey perfect for a single day trip. Expect to spend about 2 hours and 12 minutes on the road, making it an efficient way to travel within the Midwest. The route primarily utilizes I 65, with a significant portion of your travel on this major interstate. With an estimated fuel cost of $17, this trip is budget-friendly. Given its manageable distance and duration, no overnight stays are necessary, offering you flexibility in your departure and arrival times.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

55.4 miles from Ray, IN

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 9m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 65 89.6 mi 1h 38m
County Road 900 North 11.7 mi 17m
East Main Street 3.5 mi 5m
State Route 75 1.6 mi 2m
County Road 100 West 1 mi 1m
East 5th Avenue 1 mi 1m
East 4th Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Madison Street 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 65 — 89.6 mi, about 1h 38m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ray, IN and City of Gary, IN.

1

Start on SR 75

1.6 mi · 2 min · State Route 75
2

Continue on SR 75

1.0 mi · 1 min · County Road 100 West
3

Turn right onto SR 26

3.5 mi · 5 min · East Main Street
4

Continue on SR 26

0.2 mi · 17 sec · County Road 900 North
5

Continue on SR 26

0.4 mi · 35 sec · West Main Street
6

Continue on SR 26

12 mi · 17 min · County Road 900 North
7

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 27 sec
8

Merge onto I 65

90 mi · 1 hr 38 min · I 65
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn left onto US 12; US 20

1.0 mi · 1 min · East 5th Avenue
10

Continue on US 12; US 20

0.9 mi · 1 min · East 4th Avenue
11

Turn left onto Madison Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Madison Street
12

Turn right onto West 8th Avenue

0.2 mi · 31 sec · West 8th Avenue
13

Turn left

342 ft · 25 sec
14

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Given the 2-hour drive time, you can easily complete this trip in one day. Leaving in the morning will allow you to arrive in Gary with plenty of daylight. While the majority of the route is on I 65, keep an eye out for potential traffic congestion as you get closer to Gary, especially during peak commuting hours. Since there are no specific stops recommended, you can decide on rest breaks based on your personal needs, but the longest stretch without a major road change is 89.6 miles, so plan accordingly. Your fuel cost is estimated at $17, so ensure your tank is adequately filled before you depart Ray, Indiana.

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 55.4 miles from Ray, IN, or about 1h 9m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 89.6 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 24 miles or 34m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 55.4 miles or 1h 9m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 48m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near City of Gary, IN than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Ray, IN so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Ray, IN

This is one driving day of about 110.8 miles and 2h 12m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 24 miles from Ray, IN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 65 for about 89.6 miles.

Where to Stop

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

city in Indiana, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rensselaer, IN

55 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

Rensselaer, IN to City of Gary, IN

53.6 mi · 1h 5m

Pacing Suggestions

Battle Ground, IN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 24 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rensselaer, IN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 55.4 miles from Ray, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 65 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 89.6 miles.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Stops Along Your Drive

Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.

Best meal stop · home stretch

FLUID Coffee Roasters

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Crown Point, Indiana

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch · 19min to go 1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Hours: 6 am–6 pm

+12192132044

Visit website

Treece's Restaurant & Lounge

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Rossville, Indiana

1.6 mi

TC's Restaurant & Tavern

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Battle Ground, Indiana

1.8 mi

Best coffee break · home stretch

Kaffa Cafe

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Crown Point, Indiana

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch · 19min to go 0.8 mi from route ~2 min detour $1 to $10

Hours: 6:30 am–9 pm

+12192132613

Visit website

Smalltown Coffee Company

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Crown Point, Indiana

2.2 mi

Sip Coffee House & Artisan Cafe

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Crown Point, Indiana

2.3 mi

FLUID Coffee Roasters

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Crown Point, Indiana

Hours: 6 am–6 pm

+12192132044

Visit website

Treece's Restaurant & Lounge

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

First break 1.6 mi from route ~4 min detour $10 to $20

Rossville, Indiana

Hours: 11 am–10 pm

+17653793550

Visit website

TC's Restaurant & Tavern

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, short detour

Early stretch 1.8 mi from route ~5 min detour $10 to $20

Battle Ground, Indiana

Hours: 11 am–9 pm

+17655672838

Visit website

Borgata Restaurant

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

First break 1.7 mi from route ~4 min detour $10 to $20

Rossville, Indiana

Hours: Closed

+17653795165

Visit website

The Country Cafe

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

First break 2.7 mi from route ~7 min detour $10 to $20

Lafayette, Indiana

Hours: 5:30 am–2 pm

+17654481557

Visit website

Trish's Red Bird Cafe

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

First break 3.2 mi from route ~8 min detour $10 to $20

Dayton, Indiana

Hours: 6 am–8:30 pm

+17652966964

Visit website

T's Pizza & Family Restaurant

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, ~9 min detour

Home stretch 3.4 mi from route ~9 min detour $10 to $20

Hobart, Indiana

Hours: 4–10:30 pm

+12199422424

Visit website

Sonic Drive-In

4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, ~9 min detour

First break 3.4 mi from route ~9 min detour $10 to $20

Lafayette, Indiana

Hours: 7 am–1 pm

+17654477700

Visit website

Kaffa Cafe

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.8 mi from route ~2 min detour $1 to $10

Crown Point, Indiana

Hours: 6:30 am–9 pm

+12192132613

Visit website

Smalltown Coffee Company

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.2 mi from route ~5 min detour $1 to $10

Crown Point, Indiana

Hours: 7 am–3 pm

+12193233948

Visit website

Sip Coffee House & Artisan Cafe

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.3 mi from route ~6 min detour $10 to $20

Crown Point, Indiana

Hours: 6 am–9 pm

+12196629165

Visit website

Cafe Fresco

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.3 mi from route ~6 min detour $1 to $10

Crown Point, Indiana

Hours: 7 am–5 pm

+12193108078

Visit website

The Region Cat Cafe

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, ~10 min detour

Home stretch 4 mi from route ~10 min detour $10 to $20

Merrillville, Indiana

Hours: 11 am–7 pm

Visit website

Cafe Literato

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, ~11 min detour

Early stretch 4.4 mi from route ~11 min detour $10 to $20

West Lafayette, Indiana

Hours: 8 am–8 pm

+17655883701

Visit website

Wanderlust Coffee Roasters

4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, ~10 min detour

Early stretch 3.8 mi from route ~10 min detour $1 to $10

West Lafayette, Indiana

Hours: 8 am–3 pm

+17657753377

Visit website

North End Cafe

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, ~11 min detour

Early stretch 4.3 mi from route ~11 min detour $10 to $20

Lafayette, Indiana

Hours: 7 am–2 pm

+17654771873

Visit website

Rest Area

0 mi from route

I-65 Rest Stop (northbound)

0.1 mi from route

I-65 Rest Stop (southbound)

0.1 mi from route

Wolcott Rest Area - I-65 NB

0.1 mi from route

Rest Area

0.1 mi from route

Petro Stopping Centers

0.2 mi from route

Pilot Travel Center

0.2 mi from route

Love's Travel Stop

0.2 mi from route

Wolcott Rest Area - I-65 SB

0.2 mi from route

Service Plaza

0.2 mi from route

Love's Travel Stop

0.2 mi from route

TA

0.3 mi from route

Pilot Travel Center

0.3 mi from route

Service Plaza

0.3 mi from route

Flying J Travel Center

0.4 mi from route

Petro Stopping Centers

2.3 mi from route

Service Plaza

2.3 mi from route

Love's Travel Stop

2.4 mi from route

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 110.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
2.6 mi into trip | ~4m in | SR 26 / East Main Street

Turn right onto SR 26 / East Main Street

Navigation decision point

5
18.6 mi into trip | ~28m in | I 65

Merge onto I 65

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
110.1 mi into trip | ~2h 10m in | Madison Street

Turn left onto Madison Street

Navigation decision point

4
110.6 mi into trip | ~2h 11m in | West 8th Avenue

Turn right onto West 8th Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
110.7 mi into trip | ~2h 12m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$17.32 one way

$34.64 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 39 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $19.02 $38.04
premium $4.89 $21.32 $42.64
diesel $5.61 $24.46 $48.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$17

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$42–$67

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 38.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 33.2 0 $11.63 $5.32
Efficient EV 27.7 0 $9.69 $4.43
EV Truck/SUV 44.3 0 $15.51 $7.09

Gas CO2

39 kg

EV CO2

13 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 20, 2026

Origin

Ray, IN

Morning in Ray on Tuesday

Local time

7:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

City of Gary, IN

Morning in City of Gary on Tuesday

Local time

6:48 AM

CDT

Current temp

59°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

46°F

Rensselaer, IN

55 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

8 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

2h 12m 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes National Park

National Park

Lake Michigan's might has influenced Indiana Dunes for millennia. Wind and waves have shaped the land, leaving a rich mosaic of habitats along these 15 miles of Indiana coast. Over 50 miles of trails...

11 mi from route ~28 min detour $20 near mile 107
Park Closure: Partial Closures to Marquette Greenway Trail and Glenwood Dunes Trail
Park Closure: Mount Baldy Closure
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is predominantly a highway-focused experience, with 82% of the journey taking place on interstates. You'll encounter an 89.6-mile stretch on I 65, offering a consistent and fast-paced travel segment. While the bulk of the trip is on high-speed roads, you will transition to local roads like County Road 900 North and East Main Street as you approach your destination, offering a slight change in pace. The overall feel is one of efficient travel, prioritizing getting you to Gary with minimal detours.

82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 89.6 mi on I 65.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 65 and County Road 900 North. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near SR 26 / East Main Street.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Ray, IN to City of Gary, IN is easy. At 2h 12m with 82% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (SR 26 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.6 miles (I 65): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 110.1 miles (Madison Street): Navigation decision point.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 12m. Total distance: 110.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (82%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 89.6 miles on I 65. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 18 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, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.

The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (SR 26 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.6 miles (I 65): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 110.1 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 City of 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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