Lafayette IN to Chicago drive: Distance, time & best stops

Planning a Lafayette IN to Chicago road trip

A Lafayette IN to Chicago road trip takes you from Indiana to perhaps America’s greatest city in Illinois.

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. 

Book mobile-friendly tickets here.

Lafayette IN is home to the Prophetstown State Park at the confluence of the Tippecanoe and Wabash rivers. This park offers a series of walking trails and picnic areas, but there are two major points of difference. The first is the Farm at Prophetstown. This shows visitors how farming was done in the 1920s.

Secondly, there’s the Aquatic Center which comes with a body flume, tube slide and lazy river.

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.

Lafayette IN to Chicago distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Lafayette IN to Chicago is 126 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 59 minutes.

The drive is mainly along the I-65 then the I-90.

The best stops to add to a Lafayette IN to Chicago road trip itinerary are Wolf Park, Fair Oaks Farms and Pullman National Historic Park

Lafayette IN to Chicago road trip attractions: Wolf Park

Near Lafayette IN, Wolf Park is a conservation and education facility that aims to change public attitudes towards wolves and learn more about them.

General admission allows visitors to see the animal exhibits, but there’s no guarantee you’ll actually see wolves. For that, book on to a guided tour – they run both in the day time and at night.

Attractions between Lafayette IN and Chicago: Fair Oaks Farms

On the shameless fun side of things, kids will love the outdoor playground, jumping pillow and ropes course at Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana.

But there’s more to it than that. The Crop Adventure uses interactive displays to show how the world’s farmers manage to feed a seven billion population. And the Dairy Adventure shows how milk gets to the shelves, focusing on the role of robotics in milking cows.

Lafayette IN to Chicago drive: Pullman National Historic Park

The Pullman National Historic Park on Chicago’s South Side contains the site of the former Pullman Palace Car Works shops. But it’s about the people who worked on the trains, rather than the trains themselves.

The A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum looks at the African Americans who worked on the trains and moved north to Chicago, bringing jazz and blues with them.

Chicago skyline from Grant Park.
Chicago skyline from Grant Park. Photo by David Whitley/ Best3Stops.

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.

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 | Chicago to New Orleans | 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.