Day trip from Chicago to Indianapolis
Indianapolis lies 263 km (164 mi) south-east of Chicago, +1 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
At 263 km (164 mi) apart, Indianapolis is a realistic day trip from Chicago: about 4 h 17 min each way by road.
Open Indianapolis in Google Maps
| Chicago | Indianapolis | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | United States |
| Population | 2.7 million | 887,642 |
| Elevation | 180 m (591 ft) | 248 m (814 ft) |
| Time now | UTC-5 (America/Chicago) | UTC-4 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) |
| Postal codes | 60601–60701 | 46201–46298 |
Clocks in Indianapolis are 1 h ahead of Chicago right now, so a 4 h 17 min journey lands 5 h 17 min later by the destination clock.
What to see in Indianapolis
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Art Center | 274,558 | 2014 |
The busiest is Indianapolis Art Center at 274,558 visitors in 2014. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Where to book tours and tickets in Indianapolis
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Indianapolis
Our booking partner lists 637 places to stay in Indianapolis. Of the 503 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (207), and 1 are five-star. Across 143 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 7.9 out of 10. Guests have left 72,532 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Indianapolis
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Indianapolis from Chicago?
263 km (164 mi) in a straight line, south-east of Chicago; by road roughly 321 km (200 mi).
How long does it take to get from Chicago to Indianapolis by road?
About 4 h 17 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Chicago and Indianapolis?
Indianapolis is 1 h ahead at the moment (America/Indiana/Indianapolis against America/Chicago).
Where can I stay in Indianapolis?
Our booking partner lists 637 places to stay in Indianapolis, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.