Anyone ever taken Rt 41 thru Indiana?

[Jon99]

We live in far southern Chicagoland and normally take 57/24, but I was talking to a guy that suggested taking Rt 41/Pennyrile/24, said its about 50 miles shorter from here and doesn't slow you down much as all . We have travelled Rt 41 part way thru Indiana, but never the southern porton.. The northern part is real nice, 4 lane divided with no stop lights/signs for the 100 plus miles we have been on.. Going thru Terre Haute and Evansville are the only towns of any size you pass thru, but Evansville has a bypass..

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I have taken the route you're referring to many times traveling between Florida and the south suburbs. While it may be shorter mileage-wise, I don't believe it to be shorter time-wise. You just can't beat interstate highways for moving without stops.

However, I often used it southbound because since you cross into Indiana early in the drive it "seems" like you're making progress on the long drive. With I-57/I-24 you remain in Illinois for the first 5-6 hours and it just doesn't seem like you're getting close to Florida at all. Northbound I-24 to I-57 seems better better because you get back to Illinois much sooner and although you still have that 5-6 hours to go, you kind of feel like you're "home" much sooner. Either way, you're just kidding yourself but the variety of routes also breaks up the journey.

That said, you only stay on US41 part of the way south in Indiana. At some point (see map) US41 becomes a 2-lane road and INDIANA 63 becomes the 4-lane divided highway that runs along the Illinois border to Terre Haute where US41 joins back up again. There are a lot of traffic lights in Terre Haute and even more in Evansville/Covington. The Pennyrile Parkway in Kentucky is no longer tolled and it's all 4-lanes to I-24. Both the Evansville bypass and the PP are part of FUTURE I-69, the new interstate from Indianapolis to Texas.

It's not a bad route but the speed limit won't be as high and there are cross roads and traffic lights. Give it a try, especially southbound.

BobK/Orlando

 

[NancyIL]

I live in Champaign, and I remember one time listening to my sister's advice and doing what you suggested. It took SO LONG to get through Evansville, IN that I gave up and cut over to Interstate 64 at the widest possible place to get back onto I-57! I now stick with interstates whenever possible.

Another possible interstate route is I-65 to Nashville, and then get on I-24.

 

[tinkinthehouse]

I would not recommend 41...
Hoosier all my life

 

[Jon99]

Thanks everyone.. We normally take 57/24, but we have always taken 41 to 74 when heading to Indy and its saved us a lot of time..Maybe we will try 41/74/65/24, though nervous about hitting Inday at 6:00 on the Thursday before Easter..

 

[TazFan]

Thanks everyone.. We normally take 57/24, but we have always taken 41 to 74 when heading to Indy and its saved us a lot of time..Maybe we will try 41/74/65/24, though nervous about hitting Inday at 6:00 on the Thursday before Easter..

Do not worry about the Indy traffic on the west side. If you're inbound from I-74, take I-465 south and around Indy to I-65 then head south.

West, southwest, and south Indy traffic on 465 is not bad at all; especially since you will be south (and eventually east) bound. I do recommend that once you are on 465 stay off the right lane near the interchanges. Many west side interchanges still use cloverleaf ramps; slowing down traffic tremendously. I normally run the middle lane and maintain enough speed so people don't pass me on the right. Only use the fast lane if you intend to pass people in the middle lane.

If you rather run US41 to Evansville, it is not a bad trip once you are south of St. Johns. Your route will open up until Terre Haute and again south of TH to E'ville. On E'ville's south side, cross the Ohio River, and then jump on the Pennyrile in Henderson, KY to I-24.

Some points:
* At the US41/SR63 split (south of US24 and Earl Park), take 63 unless you like hilly, curvy, and speed restricting 2-lane scenic highways. Take 63 into Terre Haute where it merges back into 41.
(Why INDOT didn't swap the highway labels... letting a US highway follow a 4-lane route rather than a 2-lane route... is beyond me).
* Indiana recently increased the speed limit of limited access highways to 60mph. I'm sure 41 and 63 are 60mph but I do not know the limits. 63 north of TH is 60 as well as 41 south of TH (past Ivy Tech State College)
* 41 bypasses Vincennes via US50. Make sure to ramp up to US50 north of Vincennes unless to want to see a lot of trains and the George Rogers Clark memorial.
* In E'ville either stay on 41 through town (35 minutes of 'stop and go' traffic) or jump on I-64 east for 3 miles and then jump on I-164 south for 15 miles to 41 on E'ville’s south side.

Regardless your route, enjoy and be safe!
TazFan

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I don't recommend the I-74 to Indy to I-65 to Nashville routing. There is a LOT more traffic (including more truck traffic) on I-65 plus if you look on a map, you actually are heading southWEST between Louisville and Nashville. If you're going to come down US41 / IN63 then stick with it to Evansville, do the bypass as recommended by Tazfan and continue to Henderson (not Covington, per my last entry...was going by failing memory) and come into Nashville via I-24.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Chelley00]

The stoplights going through Terre Haute are not timed, and it's a nightmare to drive. I live in Indy and have relatives in southern IN and we HATE to drive Terre Haute. Plus, you run through a lot of little towns on 41 that have bored police officers who monitor their 40 mph speed limits like mad.

Indy shouldn't be a problem the Thursday before Easter, especially if you can time it to hit I-465 after 6:30. We drove the 65/24/75 route to FL and it was a breeze. Just watch Kentucky, it's a 65 mph speed limit and not 70 like the rest of the states.

 

[TazFan]

I don't recommend the I-74 to Indy to I-65 to Nashville routing. There is a LOT more traffic (including more truck traffic) on I-65 plus if you look on a map, you actually are heading southWEST between Louisville and Nashville. If you're going to come down US41 / IN63 then stick with it to Evansville, do the bypass as recommended by Tazfan and continue to Henderson (not Covington, per my last entry...was going by failing memory) and come into Nashville via I-24.

BobK/Orlando

I think the I-65 jog to the SW in KY adds 30 miles to the trip. In fact, the jog crosses from ET to CT and back to ET.

TazFan

 

[TazFan]

The stoplights going through Terre Haute are not timed, and it's a nightmare to drive. I live in Indy and have relatives in southern IN and we HATE to drive Terre Haute. Plus, you run through a lot of little towns on 41 that have bored police officers who monitor their 40 mph speed limits like mad.

Indy shouldn't be a problem the Thursday before Easter, especially if you can time it to hit I-465 after 6:30. We drove the 65/24/75 route to FL and it was a breeze. Just watch Kentucky, it's a 65 mph speed limit and not 70 like the rest of the states.

Channel 2 in TH had a news story just a few weeks ago about the stoplights. INDOT says they are timed via fiber optic cable between the lights. Apparently the fiber is broken for when I went to Ivy Tech south of TH this past Thursday it took 12 MINUTES to drive approx. .25 mile!!! This delay was near I-70 and US41. In fact, I was on the I-70WB/US41 off-ramp for 8 minutes (and 4 light changes)!!! I could have walked twice the difference in that time.

If you hit the area in the early am and on the weekend it will probably be a breeze. My 12 minute stand-off was on a weekday around 5:45-6:00pm

TazFan!

 

[Chelley00]

I think the fiber optic cable has been broken since they installed it :lol:

 

[Jon99]

I guess we will play it safe and head down 57 to 24, been that way many times and lack of traffic makes it an easy drive..

 

[tinkinthehouse]

Do not take 41.....
Hoosier all my life
Go Colts

 

[lynn46356]

I live a mile from Rt 41 and yes its a divided highway with stop lights. You could take it to Rt 10 and then that will take you to I65 and its a straight shot over there. We use I65 for a while on our Florida trips. I'd have to get the directions out for how long. I know not the whole way. We never go 465 though. It seems to take forever and Indy traffic is nowhere like Chicago traffic IMO. This is just a suggestion.

Lynn

 

[JonS99]

We did take that way on the return trip in April, and it was 74 miles shorter... And it took us 10 minutes less to get home from the 24/Penyrile taking 41 than it did going to Florida taking 57/24...

Not sure if we would ever take that route again, but it did give us a little variety..