Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Columbus to Chicago. If you're planning a road trip to Chicago, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
10:00 am start in Columbus
drive for about 3 hours
12:59 pm Yellow Springs
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 1:59 pm
drive for about 4 hours
5:58 pm Dayton
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 7 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Dayton
drive for about 49 minutes
10:49 am Richmond (Indiana)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 11:49 am
drive for about 1.5 hours
1:04 pm Indianapolis
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 2:04 pm
drive for about 1.5 hours
3:24 pm eat at Triple XXX Family Restaurant
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:24 pm
drive for about 2 hours
6:14 pm Gary
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 7:14 pm
drive for about 41 minutes
7:55 pm arrive in Chicago
eat at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
stay at The James Chicago Hotel
day 2 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
Yellow Springs
Dayton (5 answers)
questions about Dayton:
Activities
Richmond (Indiana)
questions about Richmond (Indiana):
What's the best neighborhood in Richmond (Indiana) for a first time visitor?
Indianapolis (41 answers)
Indianapolis Museum of Art (4 mentions)
Indianapolis Zoo (2 mentions)
questions about Indianapolis:
What is your favorite restaurant in Indianapolis?
Your Favorite Holiday Events in Indianapolis
Best free things to do in Indianapolis?
Awesome food trucks?
Safe area?
Triple XXX Family Restaurant
Gary (3 answers)
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in Chicago.
You can also see most people recommend as the best amount of time to visit. Find out how many days in Chicago to stay.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out The James Chicago Hotel, which was mentioned 12 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Chicago? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, which was mentioned 36 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Chicago? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Chicago. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Katie from Los Angeles asked:
What is your favorite restaurant in Chicago? (62 answers)
Sunil from Mountain View asked:
Best Chicago pizza? (18 answers)
Blair from Halifax asked:
What to do in one weekend in Chicago? (14 answers)
지은 from asked:
airport transportation (14 answers)
Joanne from Florida asked:
Chicago - Should we rent a car or no? (12 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Chicago.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Chicago to Columbus drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Columbus? Try searching for places within 5.5 hours of Columbus.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Columbus to Chicago. Or get a full Columbus to Chicago flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Columbus well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Columbus!