Indianapolis to Houston drive: Time, distance & best attractions
The best road trip stops on the Indianapolis to Houston drive are Giant City State Park, Memphis TN and Hot Springs AR. The distance from Indianapolis to Houston by car is 1,014 miles, with a 15h24m driving time.
Planning an Indianapolis to Houston road trip itinerary
The epic Indianapolis to Houston drive connects the largest cities in Indiana and Texas.
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.
The top Houston attraction is unquestionably the NASA Space Center, which takes you behind the scenes of the Johnson Space Center. This includes the Mission Briefing Center, and a vast array of high tech exhibitions.
Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum,
For more Houston experiences, try hip hop party bike tours, foodie walks in the Montrose neighbourhood and quirky tours of Houston’s tunnel system.
Top Houston accommodation options include the superb value Club Quarters Houston Downtown and the upscale but boutique Magnolia.
Indianapolis to Houston distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Indianapolis to Houston is 1,014 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 15 hours and 24 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-70, I-57, I-55, I-40, I-30 and US-59.
The best stops to add to an Indianapolis to Houston road trip are Giant City State Park, Memphis TN and Hot Springs AR.
For more stops and things to do, read the guides to the individual legs of the Indianapolis to Houston road trip.
- Indianapolis to Memphis drive.
- Memphis to Little Rock drive.
- Little Rock to Texarkana drive
- Texarkana to Houston drive.
Indianapolis to Houston 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.
Best stops between Indianapolis and Houston: Memphis, Tennessee
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.
Indianapolis to Houston road trip attractions: Hot Springs AR
Hot Springs in the Ouachita Mountains has loads to do. The natural highlight is Hot Springs National Park, which strings thermal springs together on a series of hiking trails. The historic bathhouses are also part of the national park.
There are also several amusement parks, of which Magic Springs is arguably the best as it has a water park.
Other Hot Springs experiences include zip line adventures and the Star Wars and superhero-obsessed Galaxy Connection.
For well-rated Hot Springs accommodation with charm, go for the Hilltop Manor B&B or the Gables Inn.
More Indianapolis road trips
Atlanta to Indianapolis | Indianapolis to Austin | Indianapolis to Chicago | Cincinnati to Indianapolis | Indianapolis to Cleveland | Columbus to Indianapolis | Dayton to Indianapolis | Indianapolis to Denver | Detroit to Indianapolis | Kansas City to Indianapolis | Indianapolis to Knoxville | Indianapolis to Lexington KY | Louisville to Indianapolis | Indianapolis to Madison WI | Indianapolis to Memphis | Indianapolis to Milwaukee | Indianapolis to Nashville | Indianapolis to Philadelphia | Indianapolis to Pittsburgh | Indianapolis to St Louis.
More Houston road trips
Abilene to Houston | Houston to Albuquerque | Houston to Amarillo | Arlington TX to Houston | Houston to Atlanta | Houston to Austin | Houston to Baltimore | Houston to Baton Rouge | Houston to Beaumont TX | Houston to Biloxi | Houston to Birmingham AL | Houston to Buffalo | Bryan TX to Houston | Carrollton TX to Houston | Houston to Charlotte | Houston to Chattanooga | Cincinnati to Houston | College Station to Houston | Houston to Colorado Springs.
Dallas to Houston | Denton TX to Houston | Houston to Denver | Houston to Destin FL | Houston to Detroit | Houston to El Paso | Frisco TX to Houston | Houston to Fort Lauderdale | Houston to Fort Worth | Houston to Fredericksburg | Garland TX to Houston | Houston to Gatlinburg | Houston to Hot Springs | Irving TX to Houston | Houston to Jackson MS | Houston to Jacksonville | Houston to Knoxville.
Houston to Lafayette | Houston to Lake Charles | Lewisville TX to Houston | Little Rock to Houston | Longview TX to Houston | Houston to Lubbock | Magnolia TX to Houston | Marshall TX to Houston | Houston to Memphis | Houston to Milwaukee | Houston to Mobile AL | Nacogdoches to Houston | Nashville to Houston | Houston to New Braunfels | Houston to New Orleans | Houston to New York City | Houston to Oklahoma City | Houston to Omaha NE | Houston to Orlando.
Houston to Panama City | Houston to Pensacola | Houston to Philadelphia | Houston to Phoenix | Houston to Pittsburgh | Plano TX to Houston | Houston to Salt Lake City | San Angelo TX to Houston | Houston to San Antonio | Houston to San Marcos | Houston to Santa Fe | Shreveport to Houston | Houston to St Louis | Houston to Tampa | Temple TX to Houston | Texarkana to Houston | Houston to Tucson | Houston to Tulsa | Waco TX to Houston | Houston to Washington DC | Houston to Wichita | Wichita Falls to Houston.