I am coming up 65 from Ky, is there a better way than taking I90 thru town?

Depends what time you're going to be near the Chicago Area. You COULD take 65 to 80-94, then stay on 80, taking 294 North to 290 (Rockford), then follow the signs to 90 (Rockford).

That would probably be better for someone coming from the south than going through the heart of downtown, unless you are traveling before 6AM or after 9PM.

M

I came up last thursday at noon and 90 was a parking lot. We will be coming thru about the same time on Friday I will look up that route, thanks Mike.

I was thinking 65 North to 80 West to 355 North to 90 West. That would avoid the most traffic. IMO

Hitting 355 from 80 west takes you WAY too Southwest, does it not? But it probably would save you time, if you were doing it in the heart of rush hour.

M

Dude if you are coming from KY pick up 74 west in Indy take that all the way to Bloomington then you hop on 55 for a short bit to go around the west side of Bloomington then pick up 39 on the north side. 39 is a straight shot to Rockford.

Ditto on the 74 west out of Indy then 39 North through Champaign right into Rockford...Going 65 will not only shoot you onto 80/94 in Chicago but also 65N is a mess of construction when you get up near the top just North of Crown Point and making your way onto 294...Other route for sure unless you like 5 minutes of Nascar driving then stop for 20 and repeat!!

looks like there is about 30 miles difference in the 74 to 39 route compared to going thru chicago.

It may be 30 miles more but I bet it's at least an hours time less

39 doesn't go through Champaign it actually originates on the north side of Bloomington. Champaign is between Indy and Bloomington along 74

Yeah what Chuck said!

that's what I was thinking,
thanks for the input guys.

Be mindful of IL State Troopers from the IN boarder to Bloomington. They have a tendancy to be a bit anal. I wouldn't go much past the limit, I only go 5 over through there, max. Above Bloomington 10 over or less is usually safe. Remember cruise contol is you friend, and it saves gas too.

Have a safe trip, see ya there


Hey ah, her right tire looks a little low, better fill up before you leave, wouldn't want to have a blow out

LOL!

I don't have a UNC bumper sticker, so I should be ok

I'll once again confirm the 74/55/39 route as being much faster. Done it for years. I'm able to make Indy in 4 hours or less from just south of RKFD this way going around the speed limit. Once you hit RKFD on 39, either go towards 90 to get to the hotels or go the 20 bypass to get around to the track at the Merridian Rd. exit.

Quick question. Which road has less traffic on it during the day? 294 north or 355 north? I'm coming from Michigan and will be taking I-80 west in and then either 294 or 355 into 290 west and then 90 west to Rockford. I know 355 is past 294 and a few miles longer of travel, but if has less traffic than 294, I'll drive the extra miles to avoid traffic. I just want to keep the wheels rolling and my foot of the brakes as much as possible. Thanks

Brian

I'd stick with 80 west all the way to 39 north you will be much less stressed when you get there. 294 and 355 can both turn into parking lots and are toll, some serious road rage can happen on those as well

Once again the time and hassel you save will make up for the increased distance

Theres a saying on this side about 80, "80 (as in MPH) on 80" however I wouldn't advise it.

I went i65 to i74 west to 39 north nice and smooth 424 miles from downtown Louisville little boring but much quicker for sure

If at all possible, stay away from 294/355. I'm up that way all the time for work and it can get messy, unless you are traveling them around 4:00AM or 8:00PM!

What Cheez said is the best way!!! 39 all the way to the rock!!!!!!!!

Who needs Tom Tom

I've been that way three times now in two weeks. 80 to 294 isn't that bad, but I'd get off at 88 and go west to 39 if you must go that way. Going all the way to 90 sucks. 88 has some construction on it as well and is one lane, but still moved along at a fair pace, even at 5:30 in the evening.

Thanks for the replies and help guys, I appreciate it. After seeing what you guys said, I'm gonna take 80 west to 39 north all the way to Rockford. It looks to be about 35 miles longer but less traffic and more movement will be well worth it. In fact, I'll probably still make it there quicker than the other routes even with a few more miles to travel. Thanks again.

Brian

That's the ticket Brian!

For a nominal fee I could sit on your dashboard and tell you how to drive.