Question: Best Route from Ann Arbor to West Lafayette

Submitted by Mr. Robot on

Its a little over a week away and I'm starting to plan my trip to enemy territory for the Purdue game. Google seems to think that, from Ann Arbor, there are three viable, almost equal time-wise, ways to get to Purdue.

Normally I wouldn't care that much about a few minutes here or there, but I want to get back to Ann Arbor as quickly as humanly possible after the game so that I can make all or most of the hockey game, and I'm betting I'm probably not alone on this. So the question I would like to pose to the MGoBoard is directed towards experienced road-gamers to Purdue:

What is the actual fastest route from Ann Arbor to Purdue? The shortest route is to take US-23 south to US-24 and then taking it over, but that appears to have a lot of not-freeway along the way (Also: Ohio). The second route involves taking I-94 to I-69, following I-69 to Fort Wayne, and then taking the last part of the first route over. More freeway, but also more distance. The third option is taking I-94 all the way to Gary and then heading south on I-65 to West Lafayette. Again, longer distance, but also 100% interstate.

I, and anyone else in my predicament, appreciate the advice. The hockey game depends on it, and this is Notre Dame we're talking about, so missing this would make me sad, even after we beat Purdue.

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Trizz

November 4th, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^

I use to go west on I-94 until I hit I-65 and took that south to West Lafayette.  I tried the Ft Wayne one, and there are alot of back country roads with stop signs.  Was slower by about 30 mins I believe.

Joined: 11/30/2009

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Atticus

November 4th, 2010 at 1:03 PM ^

I have tried all three routes many times before, and I can tell you that the fastest and easiest way to get there is by taking 94W to 65S. The speed limit is 70 mph virtually the whole way and directions are a piece of cake.

The state roads feature several poorly marked turns and the police love to nab people for exceeding the 55 mph speed limits.

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MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 4th, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^

My brother went to Purdue and I used to go pick him up from school, and I've taken both I-65 from Gary and 94 to 69 to Fort Wayne and then US-24.  The Fort Wayne route is much better IMO.  I think it saved at least 15-20 minutes.  Plus I-65 in the winter was galactically depressing.  Like driving through an old sepia-toned or black-and-white photograph.

Joined: 07/02/2008

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rcm

November 4th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^

24 to 69 does have a lot of 55mph highways (slower + stops + country...), and I've driven 94 from Portage (IN) to AA for every home game this fall (with gas, almost 3 hours on the dot every time).  From Portage to West Lafayette on 65 is about the hour+45 that google claims.  I'm going to do the 65 to 94 tonight driving from Purdue, so I can check back in afterwards

Joined: 09/16/2009

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goblue7612

November 4th, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^

I believe two years ago I was in the same situation where I had to rush back from Purdue to make a hockey game (I think it was also Halloween). I left right after the game, walked for about twenty minutes back to my friend's apartment, and ditched him as quickly as I could. I think I made it to the hockey game by the second period. I have absolutely no idea what route I took except that it was almost all interstate. This year I plan on leaving Ann Arbor after the hockey game Friday and going straight to West Lafayette, waking up by 6AM to partake in breakfast club festivities for the first time, attend the game, and sober up plenty to drive back to catch the other hockey game. 3 Michigan sporting events in 24 hours, that'll be quite the day.

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Wolverine318

November 4th, 2010 at 11:43 AM ^

except there are three possible routes that give a similar time separated by 5 minutes. The 94 method tends to be the fastest. The fort wayne method can be the fastest on a Sunday morning since a portion of the route entails single lane highways. I took this method to Indy once and I got stuck behind a really slow semi for a long time. 

Joined: 07/01/2008

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Don

November 4th, 2010 at 11:54 AM ^

Or for fuck's sake, bouje, surely you know that you can get horrible information from both Mapquest and googlemaps? Do you understand that sometimes direct information from people who actually drive a particular route might in fact supersede the information on a website? Christ, take a fucking pill or something.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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bouje

November 4th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^

Ya know maybe pose this question on a purdue site but I'm pretty sure that there will be no fucking difference which one you pick.
<br>
<br>What if there's an accident? What if there's a blizzard? What if Michigan curb stumps purdue so you leave early to beat the crowd?
<br>
<br>Who gives a flying fuck about 5 minutes. This board has gone to shit and the real question is:
<br>
<br>What post is worse? "We should fire/hire x" or "which route is faster". I honestly don't know the answer because while the former has been discussed a million billion times the latter is just retarded..

Joined: 09/30/2008

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Feat of Clay

November 5th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^

Actually, I opened this thread eagerly despite the fact that i have no plans to go to that shithole excuse for a college town in the near future. I suspected there would not only be some informative replies, but also a worthwhile, amusing anecdote or two about roadtrips to Purdue.

The glory of MGoBoard, IMHO, is that the community can often be relied upon to make even pedestrian/tangential topics interesting.

But maybe me gots a real low threshold for amusement. *drools*

 

Joined: 08/10/2009

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Mr. Robot

November 4th, 2010 at 1:37 PM ^

I am well aware that Google says there is only a couple minutes difference between the routes. That's kind of how I know what the three routes are in the first place. I made a thread because I don't believe for a second that those estimated times are correct, and I am looking for the fastest one by other people's experience instead of Google's guesstimating because it could mean a good period worth of a rather big hockey game.

I also made a thread because I'm betting I'm not the only one who wants to make it to the hockey game that night, and this is information they could probably use as well.

Joined: 10/27/2009

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UM2k1

November 4th, 2010 at 1:59 PM ^

The route I always took was 69 south (from AA take 94 west to 69, duh) down to exit 55 for IN 26 (south of Ft. Wayne), which goes right into Lafayette/W. Lafayette.  This route, according to mapquest, takes 4 hr 44 min.  It's not too bad of a drive (~1hr) on the two-lane road, and there are only a couple of towns where you need to slow down (I think 2 or 3 traiffic signals and maybe 2-3 other towns where you slow down to like 35 for 1-2 miles).  The US 24 route is pretty nice as well (took that when I went to the game in '08), and not much longer. 

 

Here is the mapquest link if interested

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