Detroit to Indianapolis drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Detroit to Indianapolis by car is 287 miles, with a 4h30m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Detroit to Indianapolis drive are Toledo OH, Fort Wayne IN and the World’s Largest Ball of Paint.
Planning a Detroit to Indianapolis road trip itinerary
The Detroit to Indianapolis drive connects the biggest cities in Michigan and Indiana.
Top things to do in Detroit include the excellent architecture walking tours, the Sealife Michigan Aquarium and the Legoland Discovery Centre. The Motown Museum and Ford Piquette Avenue Plant are great, too.
The capital of Indiana marries big city energy with country charm.
Top attractions in Indianapolis include the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Worthwhile Indianapolis experiences include a Fountain Square food tour and a walking tour around the city’s highlights.
Detroit to Indianapolis distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Detroit to Indianapolis is 287 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 30 minutes. The quickest route is via the I-79, US-24 and I-69.
The best stops to add to a Detroit to Indianapolis road trip itinerary are Toledo OH, Fort Wayne IN and the World’s Largest Ball of Paint.
Best stops between Detroit and Indianapolis: Toledo OH
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.
Detroit to Indianapolis road trip attractions: Fort Wayne IN
The main attractions in Fort Wayne are the Froellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, which has tropical and desert gardens, and the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.
The Fort Wayne Museum has a strong focus on American paintings and sculpture. And Science Central does the hands-on, kid-friendly button-pushing thing.
Detroit to Indianapolis drive: The World’s Largest Ball of Paint
Alexandria IN is home to one of the world’s silliest roadside attractions. The World’s Largest Ball of Paint started life as a baseball, but since then, it has had more than 23,400 layers of paint applied.
The World’s Largest Ball of Paint is the bizarre handiwork of Mike and Glenda Carmichael, who have been painting over the baseball for nearly four decades.
More Detroit road trips
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More Indianapolis road trips
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