Western NY to Colorado Springs- which route to choose

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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80 past Chicago (as long as its not rush hour) isn't much of an issue, there is a single $1.10 toll along there. No clue what that route along Indiana/Ohio is like, I head up into MI when I'm running it.
 
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I80. Chicago usually not a problem, but there's over $30 in tolls each way. Ez pass makes the trip a lot easier.

Edit: I think it actually more like $27 each way.
 

stratofisher

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Hey Everyone,

For those of you who have done it. Would you go route 80 or 70 driving out? Chicago is looking more and more like a headache. Thank you!

Stick with 80. 70 is all construction from Ohio to St. Louis. The Missouri stretch is also very trucker heavy. 80 is more open and less construction
 

Trial153

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I cut down 71 to 70 and then head west. I have hit traffic around Chicago enough at odd times that I avoid it when I can.
 

blutooth

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rt 80 tolls, one guy says $1 another says $30??

80 is probably $25 in Indiana and Chicago. And as stated about $1.10 past that (I think somewhere around the border with Iowa.

I’ve never taken 70, but I take 80 a lot. I will drive that route any day over any interstate east of the Mississippi.

(I’m in Milwaukee, so I’d venture to say both are a pita east of me.)
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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rt 80 tolls, one guy says $1 another says $30??

$1ish around Chicago is what I said. That is the only toll from CO to the SE corner of MI, like I said I don’t know the route east beyond that but do know that in general Ohio and PA tend to have tolls which is where I assume the rest of those are.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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80 is probably $25 in Indiana and Chicago. And as stated about $1.10 past that (I think somewhere around the border with Iowa.

I’ve never taken 70, but I take 80 a lot. I will drive that route any day over any interstate east of the Mississippi.

(I’m in Milwaukee, so I’d venture to say both are a pita east of me.)

The toll is near Chicago nothing past that near Iowa. That is the only toll from SE Michigan to CO.
 

Grunt-N-Gobble

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When i hunt CO, we travel rt70. there is one maybe two sections that have a toll and im pretty sure its in Kansas. There could be a couple other sect of tolls here in PA depending on the road. There is some construction going on but it wasnt too bad. We actually hit more coming home in Columbus because they had the east bound sect closed going through the city but it wasnt a huge deal.
 
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In 2015 we took 70 and at that time there was much more construction. At that time we felt it was not the better route.
 
OP
T
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Thanks everyone. It looks like I'm going to stick to the plan of 80. I will be going through Chicago on Sunday so hopefully it won't be that bad. Coming home is what I am concerned with. Are weekends usually better for 80 through Chicago? Or is it always rough during the day?
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Thanks everyone. It looks like I'm going to stick to the plan of 80. I will be going through Chicago on Sunday so hopefully it won't be that bad. Coming home is what I am concerned with. Are weekends usually better for 80 through Chicago? Or is it always rough during the day?

You go along the outside of Chicago, I haven't gone past in peak rush hour (it may tighten up then) but in the middle of the day or evening (even on weekdays) it has been fine in my experiences. In fact half the time due to the 55mph zone I'm the slow guy in the right lane going 60mph while everyone blows past doing 70-80, I don't want to speed in Chicago with out of state plates and give them a reason to target me for tickets.
 
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Thanks everyone. It looks like I'm going to stick to the plan of 80. I will be going through Chicago on Sunday so hopefully it won't be that bad. Coming home is what I am concerned with. Are weekends usually better for 80 through Chicago? Or is it always rough during the day?

I've been thru there on a Sunday around noon and there were some stoppages. It seemed the problems were from merging traffic and people that won't at least do the speed limit. I honestly pay little attention to when I go thru there.
 

H2PVon

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IMHO - Take 86 to 90 to 80. The 80/90 split is before Chicago and 80 isn't bad south of Chicago.

This. Just took 80 in Sept. On way home hit rush hour, lost about 15-20 mins was all. It's not like heading up through Chicago to catch 94.
 
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You should consider lake effect snow as well up there around Chicago/Lake Erie - Been caught up there more then once
 

Sapper

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Went out from PA in sept. Took 80 out because I wanted to see what it was like. Spent a lot on tolls and hit a lot of construction zones. To the point it was starting to drive me nuts. Came home 70 and won’t do it again.
 
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