Chicago to New Orleans road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops
The distance from Chicago to New Orleans by car is 653 miles, with a 9h27m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Chicago to New Orleans drive are Giant City State Park, Memphis TN and Jackson MS.
Planning a Chicago to New Orleans road trip itinerary
A Chicago to New Orleans road trip takes you from the biggest city in Illinois to a seductively distinctive city in Louisiana.
Our favourite thing to do in Chicago
The Chicago architecture cruise has a phenomenal wow factor, with the boat gliding between some of the world’s most legendary skyscrapers.
We found the commentary matches the views, too. Expect a fascinating run-down of the city’s history – and plenty of surprising detail about the buildings you’re seeing.
Chicago’s skyscrapers, music scene and massive collection of cultural attractions make it arguably the most exciting city in the US to visit.
Highly recommended Chicago experiences include an architecture river cruise, a gangsters and ghosts tour of famous Mob sites and a bike tour of the lakefront neighbourhoods. It’s also worth paying a visit to the Field Museum, the 360 Chicago observation deck at the Hancock Tower and the Chicago Architecture Center.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
Chicago to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Chicago to New Orleans is 928 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 13 hours and 25 minutes. The quickest route is usually down the I-57 and I-55.
The best stops on a Chicago to New Orleans road trip itinerary are Giant City State Park, Memphis TN and Jackson MS.
Chicago to New Orleans drive: Giant City State Park, Illinois
Giant City State Park is in the Shawnee National Forest. But it’s the massive 12,000-year-old sandstone bluffs you come to see. This southern Illinois state park has plenty of hiking trails, while rock-climbing and rappelling are allowed in two locations.
Visitors can also tackle the Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour, which involves a series of ziplines flying through the forest, plus three suspension bridges.
Chicago to New Orleans road trip attractions: Memphis TN
Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.
Also try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.
Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.
Best stops between Chicago and New Orleans: Jackson MS
The capital of Mississippi has a collection of strong museums. The Mississippi Museum of Art has a great Southern art collection. The Old Capitol Museum and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum cover politics and history.
The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is arguably Jackson’s highlight, though. It comes with a 100,000-gallon aquarium showing off the species that live on the Gulf Coast, and is within LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. That means plenty of nature trails to enjoy when the weather’s good.
More Chicago road trips
Albany NY to Chicago | Ann Arbor to Chicago | Chicago to Asheville | Chicago to Aspen | Chicago to Atlanta | Chicago to Baltimore | Chicago to Birmingham AL | Bloomington IL to Chicago | Chicago to Boston | Chicago to Buffalo | Cedar Rapids to Chicago | Charlotte to Chicago | Chattanooga to Chicago | Cincinnati to Chicago | Cleveland to Chicago | Chicago to Colorado Springs | Columbus OH to Chicago | Davenport IA to Chicago | Dayton OH to Chicago | Denver to Chicago | Des Moines to Chicago | Detroit to Chicago | Chicago to Fargo | Fort Wayne to Chicago | Chicago to Gatlinburg | Grand Rapids to Chicago | Chicago to Green Bay | Indianapolis to Chicago | Iowa City to Chicago | Chicago to Jacksonville | Kalamazoo to Chicago | Kansas City to Chicago | Chicago to Knoxville.
Lafayette IN to Chicago | Lansing MI to Chicago | Chicago to Lexington KY | Chicago to Lincoln NE | Chicago to Little Rock |Louisville to Chicago | Chicago to Madison WI | Chicago to Memphis | Chicago to Milwaukee | Chicago to Minneapolis | Moline IL to Chicago | Chicago to Nashville | New York City to Chicago | Chicago to Niagara Falls.
Chicago to Omaha | Chicago to Peoria IL | Chicago to Pigeon Forge | Chicago to Pittsburgh | Chicago to Philadelphia | Chicago to Richmond VA | Rockford IL to Chicago | Chicago to San Antonio | Scranton to Chicago | Chicago to Sheboygan | Chicago to Springfield IL | South Bend to Chicago | St Louis to Chicago | Syracuse to Chicago | Toledo to Chicago | Chicago to Tulsa | Chicago to Washington DC | Chicago to Wichita | Chicago to Wisconsin Dells.
More New Orleans road trips
Atlanta to New Orleans | Baton Rouge to New Orleans | New Orleans to Biloxi | Cincinnati to New Orleans | Cleveland to New Orleans | Dallas to New Orleans | New Orleans to Destin FL | New Orleans to Galveston | New Orleans to Gulf Shores | Houston to New Orleans | Huntsville to New Orleans | Jackson MS to New Orleans | Kansas City to New Orleans | Memphis to New Orleans | Nashville to New Orleans | New Orleans to Orlando | Panama City to New Orleans | Pensacola to New Orleans | New Orleans to San Antonio | Savannah to New Orleans | Tallahassee to New Orleans | Tulsa to New Orleans.