After a few PM exchanges and reading some posts here, I am planning the route to South Dakota from Mass. I am choosing to skip I90 at Chicago Metro all together (just because of experience with Boston I90 and routes 84 & 91 going in or out of Hartford CT).From those who travel alot in this Western route, can you tell me how far out should I stay away from Chicago and the area?I'd rather add a few miles and time and keep moving than sitting in gridlock.Any good advise where it makes sense to do so?ThanksNormy

Have you considered avoiding the Chicago area completely and route yourself through Michigan, the UP and west to SD?

Fleet Man wrote:Have you considered avoiding the Chicago area completely and route yourself through Michigan, the UP and west to SD?I'm open to anything that saves aggravation. I don't know the area at all which to make sense.We want to get to SD as safe and quick as possible, we are not retired and have limited vacation time still working for the "man/woman". So I'm trying not to add too much time going around or through. I think we will go thru during the week day not weekend, not sure yet

I looked at going up though Wisconsin from western Chicago suburbs to Mackinac Island, but it takes SEVERAL hours more than biting the bullet and going I90/94/80. When we go to Michigan or farther east to Virginia or New Jersey we just try to time it so we hit Chicago on off hours. Between 10am and 2pm, or later after 8pm and it isnt all that bad. There are CRAZY drivers no matter when you go through. The headache is worth the time saved to me. There is always the ferry option to go across lake Michigan, but that is VERY expensive.

BTW, it cost us around $90 in tolls just to cross Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Yikes!

Rustycamperpants wrote:I looked at going up though Wisconsin from western Chicago suburbs to Mackinac Island, but it takes SEVERAL hours more than biting the bullet and going I90/94/80. When we go to Michigan or farther east to Virginia or New Jersey we just try to time it so we hit Chicago on off hours. Between 10am and 2pm, or later after 8pm and it isnt all that bad. There are CRAZY drivers no matter when you go through. The headache is worth the time saved to me. There is always the ferry option to go across lake Michigan, but that is VERY expensive.I commute daily to and from work. Going in and out of Hartford CT a nightmare, I hit heavy traffic miles away from the downtown on Routes 84 & 91. I travel past Bradley International airport and don't have to go to Hartford, but depending on the time or day forget my travel. I use many back roads as possible.RV is different, as well as not knowing the area. A couple of kind folks here suggested backing away from Chicago via I90, I just wonder what is far enough?I was able to save a screen shot of what I planned but I can't figure to upload it? Asks for a URL but I saved it on me PC. I had the option to upload it on IRV2 forum, it's there under Normy post

Skipping I90 Chicago route going from MA to SD | Good Sam Community

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Jul 21, 2018
earlvillestu wrote:
dodge guy wrote:
Ill make it easy, I-80 to I355 to I88 to I39 and back to 39/94!. It’s the long way around and has tolls but it moves good!

Normally I'd agree, but 88 is under construction, one lane from Aurora to 39, and moves very slow. I'd stay on 355/290 to 90 and head west from there.

I did not know that! They just did construction last year or the year before in that section, and a few years before that! Oh well. You could always stay on 80-39.
doxiemom11
Explorer II
Jul 21, 2018
We took I-80 to 29 into Sioux Falls and roads were good. Part of 29 can be closed if there is lots of rain/flooding. Speed limit on 29 was 80 and barely any traffic. We were already a little west of Chicago so didn't have to fight that issue.
earlvillestu
Explorer
Jul 21, 2018
dodge guy wrote:
Ill make it easy, I-80 to I355 to I88 to I39 and back to 39/94!. It’s the long way around and has tolls but it moves good!

Normally I'd agree, but 88 is under construction, one lane from Aurora to 39, and moves very slow. I'd stay on 355/290 to 90 and head west from there.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Jul 21, 2018
I just replied to your other post in the forum so check it out. For 138 miles difference you can avoid all the congestion and take in some scenic beauty by cutting across Ontario and Niagara Falls taking you into Michigan then north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Wisconsin and eventually picking up I-90 west.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Jul 21, 2018
Ill make it easy, I-80 to I355 to I88 to I39 and back to 39/94!. It’s the long way around and has tolls but it moves good!
Anonymous
Jul 21, 2018
Mortimer Brewster wrote:

Personally I try to avoid filling up in Minnesota. The state is a little different in that fuel stations tend not to be on I-90. You usually have to drive a few miles away from the interstate to find a station. Don’t fill up in Southern Wisconsin as merging back on could be a nightmare. There are some stations in the Tomah area in Western Wisconsin. We stopped at a Loves station near Oakdale. It wasn’t huge, but maneuvering our 34’ fiver around the outside pumps was not a problem. Just outside the western border of Minnesota there is a Flying J in Sioux Falls, SD.
I don’t know much about it, but a Kwik Trip station in MN and a Road Ranger station in Wisconsin had labels on the pump saying that the fuel might be up to 20% biodiesel. I chose to fill up elsewhere.
I haven’t been there, but in Illinois there is a truck stop on I-90 about 15 miles east of Rockford at Route 20.
I would suggest using Gas Buddy to find diesel fuel stations and then Google Maps to make sure you can get in and out without a problem. Any station with good access to diesel should also have easy access to gasoline.
Have a great trip!

Thanks!
schlep1967
Nomad
Jul 20, 2018
On Google maps put in your start and end points. Then add a midpoint just west of Columbus Ohio on Interstate 70. It should bring you across PA on I-80 (no tolls in PA) and then limit your Ohio toll roads.
Mortimer_Brewst
Explorer II
Jul 20, 2018
Normy wrote:
Mortimer Brewster wrote:
I just returned to the Chicago area from the Black Hills. There is a long section of I-90 in Southern Minnesota that is in need of repair. In Wisconsin there is a 42 mile long construction zone from Madison south to almost the state line. Traffic moved along at 55 mph, but it was heavy. In Illinois there is construction on I-294 and I-355 and traffic always backs up where I-290 & I-294 meet up.

I-90 through Illinois, Wisconsin & Minnesota is the fastest route. Since you want an alternative, my best advice for you would be to take I-80 all the way to the Omaha area, and then head north to Sioux Falls. I’m guessing that it might add an hour to your trip. FYI, I-80 will have a lot more trucks than I-90 west of the Chicago area.

So this is your suggestion going west I80 toward Omaha NE then North to Souix Falls SD. According to Google Maps it roughly adds 30 miles more. So would you think the more trucks the more and/or easier on/off fuel stops?

Thanks
Normy

Yep. That route would definitely have more places to fuel up. The “World’s Largest Truckstop” is at Wolcott, Iowa just past the Quad Cities. There is a Flying J near Des Moines. I rarely get down to I-80 in Illinois, but I’d check out Gas Buddy for that.
Thom02099
Explorer II
Jul 20, 2018
Busskipper wrote:
Normy wrote:
After a few PM exchanges and reading some posts here, I am planning the route to South Dakota from Mass. I am choosing to skip I90 at Chicago Metro all together (just because of experience with Boston I90 and routes 84 & 91 going in or out of Hartford CT).

From those who travel alot in this Western route, can you tell me how far out should I stay away from Chicago and the area?

I'd rather add a few miles and time and keep moving than sitting in gridlock.

Any good advise where it makes sense to do so?

Thanks
Normy

This would be more to My liking - Map
Gets me away from many big cities and avoids Chicago Big Time.

Just one More Option,

Would agree with Bill/Busskipper on this route, far less hassle getting around Indy than the Chicagoland area, and that was OP's original premise...avoiding the mess that is I-80/90.
azrving
Explorer
Jul 20, 2018
Normy wrote:
Mortimer Brewster wrote:
I just returned to the Chicago area from the Black Hills. There is a long section of I-90 in Southern Minnesota that is in need of repair. In Wisconsin there is a 42 mile long construction zone from Madison south to almost the state line. Traffic moved along at 55 mph, but it was heavy. In Illinois there is construction on I-294 and I-355 and traffic always backs up where I-290 & I-294 meet up.

I-90 through Illinois, Wisconsin & Minnesota is the fastest route. Since you want an alternative, my best advice for you would be to take I-80 all the way to the Omaha area, and then head north to Sioux Falls. I’m guessing that it might add an hour to your trip. FYI, I-80 will have a lot more trucks than I-90 west of the Chicago area.

So this is your suggestion going west I80 toward Omaha NE then North to Souix Falls SD. According to Google Maps it roughly adds 30 miles more. So would you think the more trucks the more and/or easier on/off fuel stops?

Thanks
Normy

I have been on that route years back. I always say it's pig poo odor and diesel fumes but it seemed easy. No reason to go up near Chicago.