Looking for the best route... (Chicago, Champaign: motels, houses, school)

[angelaf]

Murlev: 39 is very, very boring. But I've taken that route twice now, once on the way there, once on the way back (two separate trips) and it hasn't been busy at all. It's better than dealing with Chicago, IMO. We cut into Indiana as soon as it was reasonably possible when driving south on 39... and we ended up heading south on a smaller highway, 41 I think, and it was much prettier! Slower, I'm sure, than 65 would have been... but it was more interesting. When we got to I64 we hopped on and headed east... it's a reasonable alternative I think...

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by NSH

if you do find yourself trapped driving on 294 heading south and want to make Indiana before sunset try this little detour


Exit 95th st EAST
drive approximately 6 miles to Western ave take RIGHT
go .5 mile to 99th st TAKE LEFT
go approximately 3 miles to Halsted St I-57 Interchange go on CHICAGO ENTRANCE to 1-57
follow signs for 1-94 INDIANA which will come up IMMEDIATELY
exit 103rd st head EAST
at torrance TAKE RIGHT to 106th ST
take LEFT on 106th St
go approximately 5 miles to Indianapolis Blvd and enter the
INDIANA TOLLWAY
home free all the way to I-65

The travel time along the detour will be about an hour

Thanks for the detour info!

[NSH]

Originally Posted by ITChick

Thanks for the detour info!

Very scenic route on 106th st (if your idea of scenery is rusted factories and open praries that once housed huge industry) Almost like a trip through a ghost town

[jrnrj2003]

check map but I think 54 will be your best way.

Originally Posted by angelaf

Hi all,
We're going to be driving from Wisconsin to North Carolina in July and I'm wondering what's the best route thru Illinois... last time I went to NC we bypassed Chicago by taking 39 but it was so horrendously boring, (no offense guys, there's just nothing there! ) I don't think I'd want to do that again. Is there another way to avoid Chicago and then sneak into Indiana somehow? Or is the traffic in Chicago not as terrible as we've been told? We'll be going thru on a Saturday, mid-day. Any ideas?
Thanks!

[scoop89]

The best bet is to drive through Chicago as late at night as possible.

[Drover]

Dead Thread Walking...

[OakBrookMom]

I just went to the Smokies with my kids last week. I think the key to any type of travel in the Chicago area is not to do it during rush hour (6:30-9:30am or 2:30-6:30pm). The Dan Ryan is a nightmare right now no matter what time of day you travel (we had to get off and take the back roads on a Sunday afternoon). We left at 10am on 12-26 and took 294 because we live right off of it but last summer I picked up my husband in the city at 1pm and traveled the Skyway which ran smoothly. We made it to I-65 in Indiana in decent time. We try not to leave the city after 2pm unless we wait until after rush hour which we have done, leaving at 8pm and driving until we passed Louisville which helped avoid rush hour the next morning in Indianapolis and Lousiville which can also be difficult to get through (you might try going through Cincinnati but there was lots of construction the last time we did that). The fastest we have ever gotten to North Carolina was when we left at 4am before the trucks hit the road, stopping to eat after we passed Indianapolis so that we could wait out rush hour in Louisville and eating lunch after getting though Knoxville. Ya'll Drive Safely.

[b_essence]

What is the best route to take from Champaign IL to Charlotte NC....ANYONE? If no knows where Champaign, IL is hiway 57 is out my back door and hiway 74 is up the street going to Indiana....Can I go the same way as people I know go when they go to GA or Tennessee?

[LJS8510]

a thought, see Chicago at sunrise. no traffic great views.
Leave very early in the morning,
take Lake Shore Dr. thru Chicago,
time it so you drive thru Chicago at sunrise.

You will miss the traffic and have a beautiful site of the city's shinning architecture and the lake gleaming.

you will not regret it!

[myrc60]

Originally Posted by b_essence

What is the best route to take from Champaign IL to Charlotte NC....ANYONE? If no knows where Champaign, IL is hiway 57 is out my back door and hiway 74 is up the street going to Indiana....Can I go the same way as people I know go when they go to GA or Tennessee?

Do you like to drive fast in lots of heavy traffic? If you go into GA to pickup 85 traffic averages 10-20mph faster than posted and it is quite heavy between Atlanta and Charlotte with lots of trucks. I don't like driving to either Atlanta or Charlotte so I would suggest you take 74 and come into Charlotte from the north.