Origin
South Whitley, IN
Late night in South Whitley on Sunday
Local time
4:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Whitley, IN to Fort Wayne, IN
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
29.3 mi
47 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Whitley, IN
Will Jelbert
Trip Overview
South Whitley to Fort Wayne is 29.3 miles and takes about 45 minutes via State Road 14 and I-69, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Indiana's Midwest region, presenting a straightforward drive. Expect a route with frequent turns, making it a more engaging local journey than a simple highway cruise. It's a quick trip, ideal for a day excursion or a simple relocation between towns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Road 14 | 20.6 mi | 33m |
| I 69 | 6.7 mi | 7m |
| SR 5 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Washington Center Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Coldwater Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dartmouth Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Road 14
— 20.6 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Whitley, IN and Fort Wayne, IN.
1
Start on SR 5
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
SR 5
2
Continue on SR 5; SR 14
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
SR 5; SR 14
3
Turn left onto SR 14
21 mi
·
33 min
·
State Road 14
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 69, US 24, US 33: Lansing
5
Merge onto I 69; US 24; US 33
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
I 69; US 24; US 33
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on I 69; US 24; US 30; US 33
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
I 69; US 24; US 30; US 33
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 312A
Toward Coldwater Road South
8
Turn right onto Coldwater Road
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Coldwater Road
Use the right lane.
9
Turn left onto East Washington Center Road
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Washington Center Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto Dartmouth Drive
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Dartmouth Drive
11
Arrive at destination
Dartmouth Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 21.4 and 28.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
21.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the ramp toward I 69, US 24, US 33: Lansing
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 69, US 24, US 33: Lansing
5
21.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
I 69; US 24; US 33
Merge onto I 69; US 24; US 33
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
28.4 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Coldwater Road South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 312A
Toward Coldwater Road South
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
Coldwater Road
Turn right onto Coldwater Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
28.8 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
East Washington Center Road
Turn left onto East Washington Center Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.58 one way
$9.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.03 | $10.06 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.64 | $11.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.47 | $12.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.88 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Fort Wayne, IN
Late night in Fort Wayne on Sunday
Local time
4:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
21 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
45m 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 drive is characterized by its turn-heavy local feel, with only 26% of the journey on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 20.6 miles along State Road 14, offering a consistent two-lane experience for a significant portion. As you transition to I-69 and SR 5, the road character shifts slightly, but the overall impression is one of navigating local byways rather than a high-speed interstate transit. Be prepared for more frequent adjustments in direction and speed.
Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.6 mi on State Road 14.
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 around 21.4 miles in.
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 45m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 21.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.6 miles (I 69; US 24; US 33): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fort Wayne, IN
Full guide →Fort Wayne is a city in the northeastern part of Indiana, a state of the United States of America. It is 30 minutes from the western Ohio border and 70 minutes from the southern border of Michigan. With a population of around 260,000 in the city and 615,000 in the metropolitan area, it's Indiana's second largest city. Fort Wayne is a metropolitan city with a small community feel. It provides the rush of urban activity while never losing an intimate personal connection with those who live or visit here. Fort Wayne is the second largest city in the state of Indiana, located in Allen County, the largest county in the state by geography. It is the regional commerce and industry center for Northeast Indiana and also impacts the economies of Southwestern Michigan and Western Ohio. Fort Wayne has been and is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and high tech industries.
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 45m. Total distance: 29.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.6 miles on State Road 14. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 21.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.6 miles (I 69; US 24; US 33): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Wayne, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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