WeatherRoamTowns within 2 hours of Chicago, ranked by this weekend's weather
This weekend's picks
No clear winner for Sat Nov 7 & Sun Nov 8: no town within 2 hours of Chicago clears our good-day bar on every day. These come closest.
- Hammond, IndianaMixedabout 30 minSat 51F, 6% rain
Sun 55F, 1% rain - East Chicago, IndianaMixedabout 30 minSat 49F, 6% rain
Sun 55F, 1% rain - Elkhart, IndianaMixedRV/MH Hall of Fameabout 1 h 55 minSat 50F, 21% rain
Sun 55F, 2% rain
Forecast updated Wed, 12:51 PM CST.
Towns within 3 hours of Chicago
Within an hour
| Town | Drive | Weather |
|---|---|---|
| East Chicago, Indiana | about 30 min | Mixed Sat 49F, 6% rain; Sun 55F, 1% rain |
| Hammond, Indiana | about 30 min | Mixed Sat 51F, 6% rain; Sun 55F, 1% rain |
| Orland Park, Illinois | about 30 min | Fair Sat 50F, 2% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Arlington Heights, Illinois | about 35 min | Fair Sat 49F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Lockport, Illinois I&M Canal Museum | about 40 min | Fair Sat 50F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Elgin, Illinois Fox River Trolley Museum | about 45 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Gurnee, Illinois Six Flags 路 Illinois Beach SP | about 50 min | Fair Sat 49F, 0% rain; Sun 55F, 0% rain |
| Aurora, Illinois Naper Settlement | about 50 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 0% rain |
| Joliet, Illinois | about 50 min | Fair Sat 50F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Kankakee, Illinois | about 1 h | Fair Sat 50F, 1% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
1 to 2 hours
| Town | Drive | Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Elkhart, Indiana RV/MH Hall of Fame | about 1 h 55 min | Mixed Sat 50F, 21% rain; Sun 55F, 2% rain |
| Crystal Lake, Illinois Moraine Hills 路 Woodstock Square | about 1 h | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Valparaiso, Indiana | about 1 h 5 min | Fair Sat 47F, 11% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Michigan City, Indiana Indiana Dunes 路 Old Lighthouse | about 1 h 5 min | Fair Sat 49F, 18% rain; Sun 50F, 2% rain |
| DeKalb, Illinois | about 1 h 10 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| New Buffalo, Michigan Warren Woods SP 路 Public Beach | about 1 h 10 min | Fair Sat 48F, 21% rain; Sun 51F, 4% rain |
| Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha Museum 路 Bristol Faire | about 1 h 15 min | Fair Sat 48F, 1% rain; Sun 55F, 1% rain |
| Ottawa, Illinois Starved Rock SP 路 Illini SP | about 1 h 20 min | Fair Sat 49F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Lake Holiday, Illinois Farnsworth House | about 1 h 25 min | Fair Sat 49F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Big Foot Beach SP 路 Yerkes | about 1 h 25 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Rockford, Illinois Rock Cut SP 路 Burpee Museum | about 1 h 25 min | Fair Sat 49F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin Harley Museum 路 Third Ward | about 1 h 35 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| South Bend, Indiana Studebaker Museum 路 Snite Museum | about 1 h 35 min | Fair Sat 49F, 34% rain; Sun 55F, 4% rain |
| Saint Joseph, Michigan Grand Mere SP | about 1 h 35 min | Fair Sat 49F, 32% rain; Sun 50F, 6% rain |
| Delavan Lake, Wisconsin Yerkes Observatory | about 1 h 40 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Bass Lake, Indiana Tippecanoe River SP | about 1 h 40 min | Fair Sat 49F, 9% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Janesville, Wisconsin Milton House Museum | about 1 h 45 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Waukesha, Wisconsin Ten Chimneys 路 Lapham Peak | about 1 h 50 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| South Haven, Michigan Maritime Museum 路 Van Buren SP | about 2 h | Fair Sat 51F, 28% rain; Sun 52F, 6% rain |
| West Lafayette, Indiana Prophetstown SP | about 2 h | Fair Sat 51F, 1% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
2 to 3 hours
| Town | Drive | Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Sturgis, Michigan | about 2 h 15 min | Mixed Sat 52F, 7% rain; Sun 55F, 4% rain |
| South Gull Lake, Michigan Gilmore Car Museum | about 2 h 40 min | Mixed Sat 51F, 6% rain; Sun 56F, 4% rain |
| Galena, Illinois Galena Historic District | about 2 h 45 min | Mixed Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 55F, 1% rain |
| Okauchee Lake, Wisconsin Lapham Peak | about 2 h 5 min | Fair Sat 47F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin Mud Lake Fen 路 Milton House | about 2 h 5 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 55F, 1% rain |
| Kohler, Wisconsin Pioneer Village | about 2 h 10 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 0% rain |
| Winona Lake, Indiana | about 2 h 15 min | Fair Sat 50F, 22% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Madison, Wisconsin Chazen Museum 路 Henry Vilas Zoo | about 2 h 20 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Holland, Michigan Holland SP 路 De Zwaan Windmill | about 2 h 20 min | Fair Sat 51F, 7% rain; Sun 53F, 6% rain |
| New Glarus, Wisconsin New Glarus Woods 路 Swiss Museum | about 2 h 30 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 1% rain |
| Mackinaw, Illinois Mackinaw River Wildlife Area | about 2 h 30 min | Fair Sat 50F, 0% rain; Sun 53F, 0% rain |
| Fond du Lac, Wisconsin | about 2 h 35 min | Fair Sat 48F, 1% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Grand Haven, Michigan Grand Haven SP 路 Hoffmaster SP | about 2 h 45 min | Fair Sat 52F, 7% rain; Sun 52F, 6% rain |
| Manitowoc, Wisconsin USS Cobia 路 Hamilton Wood Type | about 2 h 45 min | Fair Sat 48F, 1% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Lake Holiday, Indiana Shades SP | about 2 h 50 min | Fair Sat 52F, 0% rain; Sun 52F, 0% rain |
| Oshkosh, Wisconsin EAA Museum 路 Oshkosh Museum | about 2 h 50 min | Fair Sat 48F, 1% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Indianapolis, Indiana Art Museum 路 Children's Museum | about 2 h 55 min | Fair Sat 51F, 0% rain; Sun 54F, 0% rain |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana Children's Zoo 路 Science Central | about 2 h 55 min | Fair Sat 53F, 11% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Fox Lake, Wisconsin | about 2 h 55 min | Fair Sat 47F, 1% rain; Sun 54F, 1% rain |
| Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Noah's Ark 路 Mirror Lake SP | about 2 h 55 min | Fair Sat 48F, 0% rain; Sun 55F, 0% rain |
Weather around Chicago
Lake Michigan is the main thing to know. In spring and early summer an onshore breeze can keep the lakefront well below inland towns on the same day. Heading inland toward Galena, or north to Lake Geneva, can be the difference.
Fronts cross the region quickly, so one weekend day is often much better than the other. The Saturday and Sunday numbers below are worth reading separately.
How we pick
"Good" means a high from 55F to 88F, a forecast of sun or clouds, and at most a 30% chance of rain or snow, with no thunderstorm, dangerous heat or cold, strong gusts or smoke. "Mixed" means one day is good and the other isn't. Picks are ordered by that, then by the forecast and how much of a destination the town is.
Drive times start at the center of Chicago and go to the center of each town. They come from a table built on OpenStreetMap and do not include traffic or seasonal road closures.
Pick from where you are
The WeatherRoam app does this from your exact location, for any drive from 1 to 6 hours. It's free, with no ads and no account.
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