DIRECTIONS TO NEW BUFFALO
WHERE IS NEW BUFFALO?
New Buffalo is an hour from downtown Chicago located in the Southwest corner of Michigan
DIRECTIONS TO NEW BUFFALO
Driving from the North Shore - there will be considerably more traffic if you take I-94 on a Friday evening, so we recommend taking Lakeshore South (route 41) through the city, past the Museum of Science and Industry. In Hyde Park, bear onto South Cornell Ave/Dr following signs towards the Skyway. You will pass Moo & Oink. Stay in the center lane. Around 79th St there will be an entrance from the middle lane onto the Skyway. Take the Skyway (I-90) for 24 miles, then merge onto I-94 E towards Detroit (exit 21). Continue east on I-94 to Michigan's Exit 1, M-239/LaPorte Rd exit. Turn left and head into town.
Driving from O'Hare Airport (about 95 minutes)
- Go South on Bessie Coleman Drive for 0.2 miles
- Merge onto I-190 E towards Chicago for 0.9 miles
- Merge onto I-294 S via exit 1D towards Indiana.
- Take I-294 S for about 30 miles
- Merge onto I-80/I-94 E toward Indiana for about 45 miles
- Take Michigan's exit 1, M-239/LaPorte Rd
- Turn left on M-239 and go 1.3 miles towards the Lake
Driving from Midway Airport (about 75 minutes)
- Take Route 50 (Cicero Ave.) south for 2-3 miles
- Turn left on W 79th St., take this about 8miles past I-94
- Merge onto I-90 E (Indiana Tollroad; Skyway) via the ramp on the left
- Take I-90 E for 24 miles
- Merge onto I-94 E towards Detroit (exit 21)
- Take I-94 E for 32 miles
- Take Michigan's exit 1, M-239/LaPorte Rd
- Turn left on M-239 and go 1.3 miles towards the Lake
Trains from Chicago: Amtrak- makes stops in New Buffalo twice daily. The #371, "Pierre Marquette", leaves New Buffalo for Chicago at 10:02 am EDT and arrives in Chicago's Union Station at 10:30 am CDT (a 1 hour 28 minute trip). The #370, "Pierre Marquette" leaves Chicago at 5:20 pm CDT and arrives in New Buffalo at 7:38 pm EDT. The cost is approximately $16.50 each way.
From Milwaukee: take the Lake Express. Drive your car onto this high-speed ferry, operating from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Muskegon, Michigan - ($160/vehicle roundtrip; 2.5hrs boatime; 3 roundtrips daily)
From Muskegon, it's a 1.75hr drive (116 miles) to New Buffalo. From the marina, take Lakehore Drive 0.6 miles towards Blodgett St. Stay straight onto W Laketon Ave. for 1.1 miles. Turn right on N Seaway Dr (US-31 S) for 83 miles. Merge onto I-94 S (towards Chicago) for 31 miles. Take exit 4B to W Pulaski Highway (US-12). Turn left at the first light, taking US-12 W one mile to town.
MAPS
Lake Michigan borders (counterclockwise from left) Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Notice New Buffalo just across the Indiana border. And notice that Michigan City is actually in Indiana. For a larger scale map of Lake Michigan, click here. On a clear day, Chicago is just visible from New Buffalo, 45 miles due west across the lake.