Interstate 94 West

Interstate 94 enters the Hoosier State of Indiana carrying six overall lanes, as it has since the junction with Interstate 196 & U.S. 31 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The interstate also enters LaPorte County, the first of three Indiana counties the freeway will traverse as it circles the southern tip of Lake Michigan on its approach to the metro Chicago area. A reassurance marker is situated just inside the state line.

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South of the state line, Interstate 94 westbound approaches the Indiana Welcome Center in one mile. Vending machines and weather information are available, along with state maps and tourist information.

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Access to the welcome center occurs immediately past the County Road 900 North overpass. This is also the only mainline rest area facility for travelers along I-94 west in Indiana. One other visitors center is located off of Exit 3A at Kennedy Avenue and the Borman Expressway (Interstate 80 & 94) that serves both eastbound and westbound traffic.

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Along the east side of Michigan City the freeway progresses 1.5 miles to U.S. 20 & 35 (Michigan Boulevard), the first of two interchanges for Michigan City. An older industrial city, Michigan City doubles as a recreational destination along Lake Michigan.

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Along the east side of Michigan City the freeway advances to within one and a half miles of U.S. 20 & 35 (Michigan Boulevard), the first of two interchanges that serve Michigan City. Michigan City is an older industrial city that doubles as a recreational destination along Lake Michigan.

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One mile out from Exit 40 B-A with U.S. 20 and U.S. 35 to Michigan City and South Bend. U.S. 20 bypasses Michigan City along the south side before making an easterly turn toward South Bend. U.S. 35 has its northern terminus at U.S. 20 and multiplexes with the highway to a point east of Exit 40 where it breaks off toward LaPorte, Logansport, Kokomo, Muncie, and Richmond, ultimately ending in West Virginia at Interstate 64.

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The Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City can be reached by taking U.S. 35, which becomes Michigan Boulevard west to the central part of the city beyond U.S. 20 and SR 212.

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Exit 40B follows onto U.S. 20 west & 35 (Michigan Boulevard) north to the nearby interchange with SR 212. There U.S. 35 ends as U.S. 20 turns west to bypass the Michigan City. U.S. 35 once continued 5.3 miles further along Michigan Boulevard to U.S. 12 in downtown. Truncation of this portion of the route occurred in 2008.

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Entering the cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 20 & 35 (Michigan Boulevard) on Interstate 94 west. U.S. 20 east & 35 south partition just east of Exit 40A. Neither see interchanges with the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90). Instead travelers must use SR 39 to make the connection at Exit 49.

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Interstate 94 approaches the Exit 40A off-ramp for U.S. 20 east and U.S. 35 south, leading to South Bend and LaPorte respectively. U.S. 20 traverses the country from Newport, Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts, measuring 3,365 miles. In Indiana it goes from Hammond through Gary, Portage, Michigan City, South Bend, Elkhart and Angola.

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South of Exit 40 B-A, Westville is the next community off Interstate 94 in 14 miles. Gary is 31 miles away and the Downtown Chicago Loop is 66 miles ahead.

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U.S. 421 follows South Franklin Street from Michigan City to meet Interstate 94 at a cloverleaf interchange (Exits 34B-A) in two miles.

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A view of Interstate 94 as it bypasses Michigan City to the southeast of town.

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U.S. 421 totals 232 miles from the intersection with U.S. 20, a mile north of Interstate 94, to the Ohio River in Madison. The route used to end in Downtown Michigan City at U.S. 12 (Michigan Boulevard), but that northernmost stretch was decommissioned.

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Purdue University's North Central campus is located along U.S. 421 several miles to the south in Westville.

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The first ramp carries motorists onto U.S. 421 northbound to Michigan City. Locally, the road is known as Franklin Street, an arterial forming the retail core of Michigan City with many shops and restaurants located north of Exit 34B.

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A loop ramp leaves Interstate 94 west for U.S. 421 south to the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90) and adjacent Westville. U.S. 421 ultimately is a 941 mile highway that stretches from Michigan City to Wilmington, North Carolina.

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West of the U.S. 421 interchange (Exit 34 A-B), Interstate 94 heads into Porter County, a growing suburban county of the greater Chicago area and Northwest Indiana. Chesterton is 10 miles away with Gary at 26 miles and Chicago at 59 miles. Through Northwest Indiana, Interstate 94 is six lanes wide, widening to eight lanes for the Interstate 80 multiplex.

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One mile away from the SR 49 interchange (Exit 26 B-A.) SR 49 is a four lane expressway that serves the Indiana Dunes area and the growing suburbs of Chesterton and Valparaiso. SR 49 provides a crucial link between the U.S. 30 expressway that crosses Northern Indiana from Valparaiso to Fort Wayne, with Interstate 94 and the Indiana Toll Road. The highway also gets used by local commuters on their way to Chicago.

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The Indiana Dunes Visitors Center is located to the north of Interstate 94 via Exit 26B while Valparaiso University, the largest independent Lutheran university in the country, is located about 15 miles to the south.

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Now at Exit 26 B-A, a cloverleaf interchange facilitates movements between Interstate 94 and SR 49. SR 49 stretches for 44 miles across Porter and Jasper Counties from SR 14 northeast of Rensselaer to the Indiana Dunes State Park. Both Chesterton and Valparaiso are south of Interstate 94 along SR 49.

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West of Exit 26 B-A, Porter is now 4 miles, off the next interchange for U.S. 20. Gary is 18 miles away while Downtown Chicago is 50 miles.

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Interstate 94 approaches Exit 22 B-A with a guide sign for the first ramp, directed toward U.S. 20 eastbound. Porter actually abuts Interstate 94 from between Exits 26 and 22.

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Exit 22 B-A is a parclo interchange between Interstate 94 and U.S. 20. U.S. 20 West goes toward Burns Harbor and Portage while U.S. 20 East goes back toward Porter. U.S. 20 is a four lane highway through this area, providing an alternative (and original) route for Interstate 94.

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West of Exit 22 B-A, this dynamic message sign is positioned to direct motorists of potential traffic delays that often plague the Borman Expressway (Interstate 80/Interstate 94).

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SR 249 travels north along Crisman Road from U.S. 20 (Melton Road), 2.4 miles to the Indiana's International Port / Burns Harbor at Portage area. The state road sees a six-ramp parclo interchange with Interstate 94 at Exit 19.

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One half mile east from Exit 19 to SR 249 (Crisman Road) in the city of Portage. Crisman Road transitions into Willowcreek Road south ahead of its interchange with the Indiana East West Toll Road (Exit 23).

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Exit 19 leaves Interstate 94 west. SR 249 ends at U.S. 20 nearby and meets U.S. 12 (Dunes highway) west of Ogden Dunes and east of Burns Harbor.

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Heading west from SR 249 (Exit 19), Interstate 94 next meets the Indiana East West Toll Road (I-80/90) at U.S. 6 & SR 51 (Ripley Street) in Lake Station.

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Interstate 94 crosses into Lake County, the second largest county by population in Indiana and the heart of the Northwest Indiana region. Entering the county, the interstate enters the city of Lake Station.

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Within Lake County, Interstate 94 (along with Interstate 80 for the majority of its route) is known as the Frank Borman Expressway. Carrying along with other Chicago colloquialisms, the highway is often called the Borman. The expressway is named for a local Gary astronaut.

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Interstate 90 provides a more direct route into the city of Chicago via the Indiana Toll Road and Chicago Skyway. Alternatively motorists may remain along Interstate 94 west to the Bishop Ford Memorial Freeway north to the Dan Ryan Expressway.

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Exit 16 provides access to I-80/90 east back to Portage and South Bend, Interstate 90 west to Downtown Gary and Chicago, and SR 51 (Ripley Street) north to U.S. 20 (Melton Road) in Lake Station. A loop ramp follows onto SR 51 south & U.S. 6 east to Hobart.

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Interstate 94 enters Lake County as it passes over I-80/90 ahead of the Exit 16 trumpet interchange to the Indiana East West Toll Road. Interstate 80 west merges with Interstate 94 via the access road to the Bishop Ford Memorial Freeway near Lansing, Illinois. Eastward the freeway doubles as Interstate 90 278.18 miles to Elyria, Ohio.

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Drivers bound for the Indiana Toll Road and SR 51 (Ripley Street) north depart Interstate 94 west at Exit 16. SR 51 ends nearby and comprises just a 9.6 mile route south from east Gary to U.S. 30 in south Hobart.

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Interstate 80 travelers join Interstate 94 west for a 18.53 mile overlap ahead of a cloverleaf interchange with SR 51 (Ripley Street) north and U.S. 6 east & SR 51 (Adam Benjamin Highway) south into Lake Station. U.S. 6 west merges with the Frank Borman Expressway to the state line.

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