Cleveland to Chicago road trip: Best stops, distance & driving time
The distance from Cleveland to Chicago by car is 344 miles, with a 5h10m driving time. The best Cleveland to Chicago road trip stops are Cedar Point, Toledo and Indiana Dunes National Park.
Planning a Cleveland to Chicago road trip itinerary
A Cleveland to Chicago road trip heads across the bottom of the Great Lakes to perhaps the greatest US city of them all.
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.
Top attractions in Cleveland include the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland History Center. Alternatively, Cleveland tour options focus on neighbourhood food scenes, the city’s best craft breweries and Downtown’s public art.
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. Or the 360 Chicago observation deck at the Hancock Tower. Or the Chicago Architecture Center.
Cleveland to Chicago distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Cleveland to Chicago is 344 miles. That means a driving time of around five hours and ten minutes. The quickest route follows the I-90.
The best stops to add to a Cleveland to Chicago road trip itinerary are Cedar Point, Toledo and Indiana Dunes National Park.
Cleveland to Chicago drive: Cedar Point
Cedar Point near Sandusky is one of the world’s great theme parks – particularly if you’re a rollercoaster fan. Unlike other amusement parks, which maybe have one or two good rollercoasters and plenty of filler, Cedar Point has an extraordinary collection of top grade thrill rides.
Steel Vengeance is the fastest, longest and tallest hybrid coaster, but there are five coasters that top the 200ft height mark here.
Attractions between Cleveland and Chicago: Toledo
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, really embraces the scale and scope of its subject. The aim is to show how the Great Lakes have shaped America’s cultural, economic and political history, covering everything from the Underground Railroad to Prohibition-era rum-runners.
The highlight of the visit is the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, once an iron ore freighter plying its trade on the lakes, now a museum ship.
Other Toledo experiences include Toledo Zoo.
Cleveland to Chicago road trip stops: Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park stretches for 15 miles along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. While it is primarily adored for its beaches, the mixture of ecosystems is fascinating for those who want to do more than just lie on the sand.
The dunes take the attention, but the hiking trails take in woodland too, and are surrounded by wildflowers in spring. Come in winter, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available.
Fishing for steelhead in the Little Calumet River is also immensely popular, while the birdwatching amongst the quiet dunes is highly productive.
More Cleveland road trips
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