Best bypass around Chicago?

[KyDan]

Trying to nail down a route for summer trip.
Louisville to Wisconsin Dells.
Google says best route is
I65 north
I294 around Chicago
I 90 west

We'd be doing this on a Sat or Sunday if that helps.

Pulling a 29 footer and don't mind keeping up with the semi's. Been thru Atlanta, Burmingham, Nashville, Louisville so I kind of know what to expect.

Just asking for your thoughts if you've done Chicago lately??

Thanks!

[Kaadk]

Was just in Chicago (actually Elgin) this week for work. Can only help you between O’Hare and Elgin, I-90 is a toll road, took 30 mins. Avoid the toll road and it became 1 hour+ of surface streets. At least between those two points there does not appear to be a non-toll highway option.

So, yeah, basically no help at all.

[Gohawks]

Try to map out I 74 to I39 completely take Chicago and suburbs out of the picture. Not sure how much time that would add but it's worth looking into.

[Skip12]

I would take 74 out of Indianapolis to 39. It's a few more miles but you'll avoid some heavy construction and high traffic areas of NW Indiana and Chicagoland.

[Jim34RL]

I39/I90 is under construction in Wisconsin. Widening of this road way from Ill boarder past Madison WI. You can not escaped construction in the greater Chicago/Rockford and Milwaukee area. I have attached the Wisconsin DMV construction schedule for you. Wisconsin Department of Transportation SearchResults

I would try to avoid going through the Gary IN and Chicago Il area roadways between 5:00AM and 9:00 AM also between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. These are the peak rush hour travel times. I use the IL tollway plus going around the lake on I80/I90 than I94 to get to Michigan just making sure I do not drive those roadway during rush hour.

[KyDan]

Google gives alternate as the I74 I39 you mention.
It adds ~35 miles and less than half hour drive time.
I was already leaning towards this route just to take Chicago suburbs out of the picture.

I would most likely do this on a Sunday and leave Louisville at crack of dawn.
Hopefully construction is not working overtime and might not be as much a factor on Sunday...

[BandJCarm]

You won't like this answer........but I'm going all the way up through the Michigan U.P. twice this summer to avoid Chicago. I won't go through there, period.

[KyDan]

Interesting!!
I use both Bing maps and google maps.
Rita is our co-pilot-navigator and she prefers Bing printed trip tics.

Just ran the same starting points and destination through both and
Google says preferred route is 65, 294, 90
at 7 hours 8 min.

Bing suggest the alternate 74 out of Indy and 39
Bing says 9 hours with usual traffic.

But we've found Bing to be consistently closer to actual drive times and Bing says the 74 39 route is farther but faster. In fact the drive times are almost exactly swapped Bing and Google.

I believe Bing and looks like we'll be going 74 and 39.
Still a very long day but we've done a ton of them and I'm not feeling the urge to beak this leg into 2 pieces.

This winter when Bing said 9:20 to our stop in GA our actual with rest stops, gas, lunch was 9:40 which was pretty good I thought.

[thom125]

I lived in Chicago for years..

best way (for me anyway).... 294 North, exit I88 West.. then 355 North. .. turns into 290 / 53 North to I90 West (by Woodfield Mall).. towards Janesville, Wis.. .stay on 90 to Dells...

[tom3205]

I74 to i39 to i90 in Rockford, Il. Not only do you avoid Chicago urban squall, you avoid high toll costs. Only one toll between Rockford and Wisconsin boarder. Yes, i90 is under construction between Beloit and Madison, but not that bad. Have fun. Bring money ..Dell's has a lot to offer.

[Chaplain Kent]

I was born and raised in Chicago and now live in Milwaukee. We drive Chicago often at all times of the day. Don't worry about driving Chicago. Worse part will be I-65 to I-294. On Sunday morning I would not be opposed to driving through the city on 94-90, Dan Ryan Expressway. You will have more problems once you enter Wisconsin. There is construction on every road out of Illinois. At least there are no tollways in Wisconsin. If you are driving 294 and 94 make sure you get yourself a tollway I- Pass, or you will be stopping every few miles to pay tolls. We use our I-Pass throughout the country.

[richp]

Hi,

Tom3205 gave one good option. The other might be 65 to 80 west to 39, and then pick up 90 to Wisconsin in Rockford.

Or 65 to 80 to 355 to 88 to 39 and then north. Might be a bit shorter, and it is my usual route. But that gets you a little more urban-like traffic when on 355 and 88.

I live in the west suburbs of Chicago, and when going east or south, I do almost anything to avoid 294 or any of the roads near the city.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

[grumpyoldman]

As others have stated take I74 to I39. Avoid Chicago at all costs. Lots of tolls using 294 and 90. You would be going by O'hare airport which is busy 24 hours a day everyday. I don't like going that way in a car and definitely not in an RV.

[tom3205]

I88 is one lane both ways from Aurora to I 39. Drove it yesterday. Came to dead stop more then once. Avoid I88...

[tom3205]

I80 west to i39 takes you too far south. 80 hit 39 near LaSalle Peru. Just take i74 to Bloomington, pick up i39 north.or, from Louisville, take i64 west to i57, to i74..

[donkro]

The route Google has chosen for you is fine, especially on weekends. I hope you'll trust those of us who live here vs. those who say "avoid at all cost". I drive these roads all the time at all times, with our RV and with our cars and rarely have a problem. I agree with avoiding rush hour and getting the I-pass Tollway transponder, which is free, and can be used in 16 other states, especially out east. If you want the easiest, most direct route, follow Google.

[donkro]

P.S. Out east the system is called EZ Pass, they're all usable on the same system, so if you can buy that in your state, it works here too.

[tom3205]

Google may be the direct route, but not the easiest. 3 or 4 cars abreast, going 60 or 70 mph, is nerve racking, when driving/pulling an RV... you are in the far right lane, cars on your left, and suddenly your lane is an "exit only".And you can't move over. There are 10 million people within a 50 mile radius of downtown Chicago. Why compete with s. Just avoid them, and the pot hole, and the tolls, and the idiots trying to go 90 mph.

[rockfordroo]

As others stated, take I-65 to Indy, then I-74 to Bloomington, then north on I-39 to the Dells. It's a little longer, but a LOT less white-knuckle/traffic.

As also stated, I-39 between Ill/WI state line and Madison is under construction, but is mostly still 2 lanes both north and south, so not as bad as it could be; and there's really no good way to get around it.

I believe the only toll you'll pay is for the Rockford to Ill/WI state line segment (about 16 miles) at the South Beloit toll booth:



Trying to figure out how much more you'll pay for your trailer is not easy. The last time I went through South Beloit with my 2 axle TT (Aug 2016) they charged me $4.30. So I think that was the "Medium" Truck daytime cost at that time.

[Kimber45]

Originally Posted by Chaplain Kent

I was born and raised in Chicago and now live in Milwaukee. We drive Chicago often at all times of the day. Don't worry about driving Chicago. Worse part will be I-65 to I-294. On Sunday morning I would not be opposed to driving through the city on 94-90, Dan Ryan Expressway. You will have more problems once you enter Wisconsin. There is construction on every road out of Illinois. At least there are no tollways in Wisconsin. If you are driving 294 and 94 make sure you get yourself a tollway I- Pass, or you will be stopping every few miles to pay tolls. We use our I-Pass throughout the country.

for the two times a year I go to ohare the I pass is not worth it. I blow through all the tolls and pay on line when I get home. if you pay within 10 days there are no penalties.