[mountain]

Well, I'm moving from Grand Rapids to Minnesota next month and I want to avoid Chicago. I'm willing to add a couple hours to my trip if that's what it takes.

I've been looking at maps and reading online and there doesn't seem to be an obvious solution. The best thing I can come up with is to go south on I-65 from Gary, then go west on US-30 and eventually work my way north into Wisconsin and proceed as usual. I'm not sure how US-30 traffic is, though, it goes through Chicago Heights and a bunch of other urban areas.

Anyone have tips? Heck, maybe I'll add a day to my trip and take the scenic route through the U.P.

[politikally]

I've made the trip from Michigan to Wisconsin/Minnesota hundreds of times, going both ways (UP and Chicago). It all depends on where you are going. (I did college in Marquette and Grad school in Lansing and I am from Wisconsin/Minnesota =] ). If you are headed to Madison/Milwaukee, there really isn't a very good way to avoid chicago. Though I will say that the I-294 Beltline around chicago isn't bad - though toll heavy. The most useful chicago bypass I've found is to take I-80 over to Hwy 51 (I-39) and go north to Rockford to avoid Chicago. I tried US-30 once, and it was just to crazy with suburbian traffic. I thought I-39 was much quicker even if it was further out.

What I usually do to avoid "Chicago" traffic is to schedule my trips so I pass through the Chicago area in the middle of the night (usually between 11pm-3am). There is virtually no traffic and it really keeps the travel times down. If you are towing a trailer, or using a U-Haul I would advise this method since those things are a bi%ch to drive in traffic

As for heading north... if you are headed to a northern wisconsin or northern minnesota destination this is the route to take. I hope you have 4-wheel drive though The trip can be trecherous if you hit a bad snow storm. I've gone this way and traveled through massive storms, fog, etc. Even the Bridge (Mighty Mac) was closed a few times.

My average travel times for different routes:

Lansing to Minneapolis, via Chicago: 11.5 hours
Lansing to Wausau, via Chicago: 7.25 hours
Lansing to Marquette, MI, via the Bridge: 7.5 hours
Lansing to Wausau, via Ludington Ferry: 8.5 hours (inculdes ferry time)
Lansing to Minneapolis, via the Bridge: 13.5 hours (this is praying the weather goes your way)
Lansing to Duluth, via the Bridge: 11 hours

Keep in mind these are averages, I've done much better and much worse. One time I did the Lansing to Wausau in 5.5 hours (midnight run, no stops), and on a different occasion a trip from Lansing to Marquette, MI took me nearly 19 hours (blizzard).

Feel free to PM me with your actual destination, what day of the week you'll be leaving on and I would be more than happy to advise a route

[mountain]

Thanks for the in-depth reply. I should have clarified things a little more. I'm moving to Rochester, which is in southeast Minnesota. I've gone there a couple times before and those times I just took I-90/I-39 all the way through Chicago, past Madison and right up to Rochester.

That's good to hear about I-80 being decent. I'll probably follow your advice on taking that route, then.

I don't have a departure time pinned down yet, it will probably be January 22-ish. I'll probably just be driving my Ford Contour, no trailer.

[politikally]

Like I said, leave later in the day. If you left Grand Rapids around 6pm (EST), you'd have pretty easy driving right through Chicago, and that'd put you in Rochester around 1 am (CST). Give or take a bit. If you avoid the rush then there's nothing to worry about

[deeme]

We moved from Grand Rapids, MI a month ago to relocate in Wisconsin where there are lots of jobs! We left GR at 3 AM & made it through Chicago easily!!! The week before when we came through there it was about 8 AM & what a mess! Taxi's will cut ya right off! No police seen! Avoid rush hour at all costs, is my advice.

PS ... The Express Ferry closed on 10/31/6 for the season, otherwise you could have taken that to Muskegon, saving atleast 3 hrs. & avoiding Ludington. Good Luck!

[stschwartz574]

we are driving from Washington DC to MT and thinking of going north in Michigan and taking Highway 2 across. AAA estimates it only adds 126.7 miles but nearly 4 hours of driving time. Is the road super slow with rvs and alternating passing lanes or can we move along at a pretty consistent speed? We want to make good time but want to see another part of the country.
Thanks

[stanman13]

You can usually make steady progress, but it's two-lanes instead of expressways so you do get behind the occasional rv, and the speed limits are the typical 55. It's a beautiful trip, well worth whatever extra time it may take. Go north through the lower on I-75 and pick up 2 after the Bridge. You might consider taking US-23 through the first part of the Lower if you want to go around Detroit. It's definitely quicker, and you meet back up with I-75 near Flint.

[scolls]

I drive from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis every year. Take 196 to 94 to 294 to 90 into Madison and get back on 94 and head into Minnesota.

Also this thread is 3 years old so if you haven't made it to Minnesota yet, you did something wrong.

[stanman13]

Originally Posted by scolls

I drive from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis every year. Take 196 to 94 to 294 to 90 into Madison and get back on 94 and head into Minnesota.

Also this thread is 3 years old so if you haven't made it to Minnesota yet, you did something wrong.

Clearly stschwartz did a search of threads as instructed by the rules of the forum, and added his post with a related question. Why do we tell people to search for related threads before posting, and then harass them about posting in an old thread?

It's well worth the trip to get to Montana via Hwy 2.