road trip to Chicago from Washington, DC | Thread profile

Hi, I will be driving to chicago on friday and plan on comming back sunday. I have two other drivers to share the driving time with me. I've never made a trip this long before. I plan on leaving early friday morining. According to the map, its appox a 10 hour drive. Is it crazy to drive 700 miles in one day?

Quote: Originally Posted by labtec I will be driving to chicago on friday and plan on comming back sunday. Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! Are you sure you need to drive this distance that fast? By the shortest possible route it is 697 miles and I will buy you a tank of gas if you can cover this distance in less than 11 hours. Realistically, it will take you a little over 13 ...

Welcome to the RTA Forum! Since I can't quite figure out the point of your trip, I'm sorry to have to say, yeah, you are a little crazy here. You're going to be making an incredably long day of driving, have one day in Chicago (which you'll probably need to recover from your drive) before you're going to turn around to drive home. Some tips, There is no way you will make it to Chicago in 10 ...

Hi, thanks for your response. I'm going up there for a wedding and I guess the drive would leave me to exhausted to have any fun. I think I'll hold off on the road trip and look to good old Southwest. -thanks for the SpeedRun website link

Quote: Originally Posted by labtec thanks for your response. I'm going up there for a wedding and I guess the drive would leave me to exhausted to have any fun. I am afraid so. You would need to sleep much of your time in Chicago to be able to make it back safely. Have fun at the wedding! One caveat -- with three drivers if you drive non-stop and drive no more than 2-3 hours per driver and ...

wow they have a forum for everything!! and what a coincidence I happen to stumble upon this particular thread, as I was this very day planning a trip from washington to chicago for a weekend. perhaps i'm being over confident with my stamina, but before i read this thread, i thought i could drive the 14 hours no problem. perhaps i should reconsider... would cleveland be a good overnight place on ...

This is very do-able. The Baltimore-Cleveland leg is only 375 miles which should take you about 7 hours to do with minimal stops. Cleveland-Chicago is 347 miles and should take you about 6-6.5 hours to do with minimal stops. Both of these days of driving should be just fine and allow you a bit of time to stop and explore something that interests you. Just a thought, I don't know if I would get ...

I think your plan is entirely reasonable, and a prefectly good option. However, there are a couple of things I personally would do differently. First, I wouldn't go through Cleveland, at least not both ways. I don't like tolls, and I-80 through Ohio and Indiana is a toll route. For that reason alone, I'd take I-70 through Central Ohio, and Cut up I-65 at Indy. Columbus would be close to a ...

wow you guys have given me so much to think about. i appreciate your continued help on this. More questions: 1. There's traffic in Ohio?? 2. Is the 70/65 route as fast as the 80 route? 3. Is it more or less scenic? 4. I'm planning on speeding down these roads, how is the state trooper situation along these routes?

Quote: Originally Posted by MDESQ 1. There's traffic in Ohio?? You are joking here, right??? Quote: 2. Is the 70/65 route as fast as the 80 route? The 70/65 route is a little longer, but I like the route a little more -- it really comes down to how much you like paying tolls, as Midwestern Michael mentioned. Quote: 3. Is it more or less scenic? That is kind of a toss-up Quote: 4. I'm ...