EC1 Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 My buddy was planning on driving from Toronto to Winnipeg for school and is planning on going through the US (down through Michigan and then back up). According to Google maps this is faster (by 6hours) than driving through Ontario and up around the lakes, even though the Canadian route is shorter in distance. Can anybody verify if any route is actually longer? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Its a great trip going through Michigan/Wisconsin/Minnesota. I'd definitely recommend it. Mackinaw bridge is cool as well. The interstate highway system is quiet once you get halfway to Mackinac and next to no big trucks! Marquette MI or Ashland WI are good halfway points to stop if you go over two days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) I don't know what map he's measuring on.. but I'm darn sure it's shorter thru Canada. Even if it was shorter thru the US.. add 2 border crossings and an anal cavity search and where are you?? EDIT.. missed the shorter thru Canada.. but claiming 6 hours shorter thru the USA.. can't see it. Edited August 31, 2011 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 I think US is quicker and less traffic/better roads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Probably is faster if you miss Chicago rush hour that'll cost you at least 2 hours extra...but I can't see it being 6 hours faster. They also aren't taking in border wait times.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDunn Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) When I used to go back and forth from London to Sault Ste. Marie. I almost always cut through Michigan. It was about 7 hours from my place here to my place in London. Border is the issue....sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 5 hours....I was lucky and never had to wait longer than an hour over the 2 years I was doing it. Edit- I used to drive at night alot tho....Only thing was the gazillion deer around. If your buddy did it at night he would hit Superior just as the sun was rising too TDunn Edited August 31, 2011 by TDunn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishing Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 I think that going though US is better. Some are toll or partial toll road. They are faster than normal road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutdoorDan Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Through the US is both shorter and faster. Also of the two routes that you can take through Canada, the shorter one is bad. Truckers, for example often take the longer one in distance (going through North Bay) because of better roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Type in departure and destination in google maps. It will give you the distance and duration. The distance is usually bang on. The duration not so much, since they use the acuall posted speed limits and don't factor for rush hour hassles. Border crossing time can be an issue but I don't think the North Dakota crossing would be a big deal and even a 2/3hour wait at Sarnia would likely still have you ahead of schedule. Even back in the day when our dollar was 65 cents to the buck, gas was still cheap enough to make the US route a favourable option for many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) They go up 11 to Cochrane and over thru Hearst to Geralton and down to Thunder Bay because it is flat.. compared to taking 17 that is alot of shifting/grade climbing and hard on equipment. Distance wise is not shorter going thru the USA. Now if we want to get into the savings on gas.. the USA is a no brainer as a route. Edited August 31, 2011 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Google says it is also 10 km shorter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Devine Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 I just did this trip and enjoyed the US ride much better. Drove from Windsor to Calgary thru Mi, Wis, Minn ND and Montana, then back across the prairies to Windsor. Fuel wasn't a concern but I know it was cheaper in the US. Good roads on both sides of the borders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutdoorDan Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 They go up 11 to Cochrane and over thru Hearst to Geralton and down to Thunder Bay because it is flat.. compared to taking 17 that is alot of shifting/grade climbing and hard on equipment. Distance wise is not shorter going thru the USA. Now if we want to get into the savings on gas.. the USA is a no brainer as a route. Yeah a buddy is a truck driver and he said exactly this. The distance difference is negligible -- it's 2048km through the US and 2055 though Canada (taking the 17) but going through the US should save several hours at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC1 Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the info gentlemen! Awesome that he got to ask me this on our way to a fishing trip, and we get to know the answer on the way back! Cheers! Edited August 31, 2011 by EC1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Don't go through chicago lots of tolls and slowdowns. cross at sarnia and head north at flint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue pickeral Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 -if you haven't seen Canada yet, do the Canadian drive first. Some great scenary. -if you go U.S. route, make sure you've bought some travel insurance from CAA or one of your credit cards. You never know. -have U.S. currency, especially coins, to get through all the tolls. And there are a lot of them. Despite the exchange rate, Canadian money is poorly looked upon. -economic conditions being what they are in Northern Ontario, (bad) boosting some local Canadian economies might be appreciated. That way when you need them on fishing trips etc. they will still be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 -if you haven't seen Canada yet, do the Canadian drive first. Some great scenary. -if you go U.S. route, make sure you've bought some travel insurance from CAA or one of your credit cards. You never know. -have U.S. currency, especially coins, to get through all the tolls. And there are a lot of them. Despite the exchange rate, Canadian money is poorly looked upon. -economic conditions being what they are in Northern Ontario, (bad) boosting some local Canadian economies might be appreciated. That way when you need them on fishing trips etc. they will still be there. We saw two tolls from SW Ontario to International falls through the states. 1. Mackinaw Bridge 2. International Falls/Fort Frances Bridge travel insurance is cheap that is definitely a good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nipfisher Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 I drove the U.S. Route about 15 years ago and will never forget the trip through Montana. No posted speed limit!!!!! There is a sign that tells drivers to consider the 5 rules of driving. 1. Weather conditions 2. Road Conditions 3. Traffic Conditions 4. Vehicle condition (Safety) 5. Driver fatigue It was mid afternoon on a crazy hot day and we had no air conditioning in my 1988 Chevy Beretta. We had the windows open and stripped down to our under clothes. The digital speddometer was maxed out at 188 kms. and we were getting passed. Was a great ride. No there are no pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vance Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 I drove the U.S. Route about 15 years ago and will never forget the trip through Montana. No posted speed limit!!!!! There is a sign that tells drivers to consider the 5 rules of driving. 1. Weather conditions 2. Road Conditions 3. Traffic Conditions 4. Vehicle condition (Safety) 5. Driver fatigue It was mid afternoon on a crazy hot day and we had no air conditioning in my 1988 Chevy Beretta. We had the windows open and stripped down to our under clothes. The digital speddometer was maxed out at 188 kms. and we were getting passed. Was a great ride. No there are no pictures. I don,t care if there are pictures I DON'T want to see them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! vance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbuck Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 He's got to do the drive up 17 around Superior, it is soooo gorgeous up there!!! There is no real time saving going through the U.S. My in-laws lived in Kenora for several years and Winterpeg before that and they never bothered to go through the States. They'd always do 17. My advice, leave at 4am, have brekkie around Sudbury, a quick bite/coffee in the Soo and lunch in Marathon. Get to Tuuuunder Bay and decide if he want's to continue or spend the night. The days are shorter but doing it this way and he'll get up to Thunder Bay around dinner time. From TBay to the 'Peg is a good 8 hour drive so I'd think about spending the night there or at least loading up on Coffee because the next Timmies is in Dryden and he'd be bypassing Kenora so it'll be a long night drive and it can be dangerous with the Moose crossing and the deer on the road. Don't discount that danger, truckers hit moose on a regular basis up there, that's why you see the big bumper bars around the front of trucks in the north, even then, they get damaged quite heavily. In a car, if you hit a moose, bend over and kiss your butt goodbye. Also, don't speed up there, the OPP has a very very low tolerance for that, it's not like doing a buck twenty on the 401 and not worrying. Up there, 10k over the limit is about it. Tell him to bring his long johns and an extension cord for his block heater if he has one (if he doesn't, he'll need one, most definitely). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cudz Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 I drove from Barrie to Portage last summer. I was in awe of some of the scenery of Northern Ontario especially around Lake Superior National Park. IF you have never been that route it is quite nice to see that part of the country. I too used to go to School in Waterloo but date a girl from the Soo so I used to go through Michigan all the time. IT was shorter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now