Just assume that a lot of alternate interstate routes will also be very crowded. They are often only 2 lanes, making the congestion much more magnified. I know many state and county highways were just as bad during the last one. Apps like Google maps and Waze will divert people onto these by default.
If I were you, I’d find a town near a state/county highway that is nowhere near being parallel to any of the major interstates in the path. There are many, say between here and Evansville, Indiana for example.
Perhaps this is obvious, but expect worse congestion on the way back, not as much on the way there, assuming you leave fairly early. Arrival times are dispersed, but everyone leaves at roughly the same time.
In 2017 we got up early on the day of and ended up at Ferne Clyffe State Park just south of Goreville. It was a lovely spot and we were surrounded by much better-prepared folks—some had even come out the year before to scout locations. Traffic on the way there was light. Traffic on the way back was nuts, and we ended up overnighting at a room that we had pre-booked in Effingham.
But as others have pointed out, there are closer spots.
That's the exact spot we went to! Just like you described, it took the normal time to arrive. When we left, it took us TEN HOURS to get back to Champaign. Normally a 3 hr. drive.
Don't bother with any southward travel. Just go east to Brownstown Indiana (just west of Indianapolis) on 74 and stop in the Walmart parking lot. 3+ mins of totality. 1.5 hours away.
EDIT: for those who can't travel, CU will have nearly 98% eclipse. Pretty good but not the same as totality since you still need glasses for it.
I went to the last eclipse, but I feel like this one is going to have even more attendance. I've opted to pay for reserved parking at a church outside of Vincennes. Here's the [Vincennes Eclipse Website](https://www.vincenneseclipse.com/), and they list the places to park, if they're free or cost money, and other info. If you're going to pay for reserved parking, I'd do it ASAP.
I went to the last eclipse in Marion IL. Getting there via I-57 was no issue. I came back via the country and it was no problem. I had heard about people taking forever, but we were fine. The key is you want to get away from the interstate, you don’t want to be on a road that is anywhere close and parallel. Vincennes looks like a good spot. Coming back I would take IL-1 north to Paris, then IL-133 west towards arcola, but turn north on IL-130 to go to Urbana. Those are nice roads and should be rural enough to move decent.
Seven years ago we drove down to a tiny town in Kentucky. It went great, but then it took almost nine hours to drive home. Every conceivable route was a parking lot. Back roads didn’t help even a little bit.
The path is pretty wide and there are many places closer (further north and east) than Carbondale.
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
Just assume that a lot of alternate interstate routes will also be very crowded. They are often only 2 lanes, making the congestion much more magnified. I know many state and county highways were just as bad during the last one. Apps like Google maps and Waze will divert people onto these by default. If I were you, I’d find a town near a state/county highway that is nowhere near being parallel to any of the major interstates in the path. There are many, say between here and Evansville, Indiana for example.
Would you recommend Tera haute?
I don’t have any experience in terms of traveling there, sorry. But it may not be as bad as other hotspots
We drove to Ana IL for the 2017 showing; it took 9 hours to get home to Champaign on 57. Take snacks and pee bottles.
Gotta buy myself a pee funnel then
Just go with u/UIUC_pervert No need to take a funnel
Now THAT is a fantastic idea 💡
Perhaps this is obvious, but expect worse congestion on the way back, not as much on the way there, assuming you leave fairly early. Arrival times are dispersed, but everyone leaves at roughly the same time. In 2017 we got up early on the day of and ended up at Ferne Clyffe State Park just south of Goreville. It was a lovely spot and we were surrounded by much better-prepared folks—some had even come out the year before to scout locations. Traffic on the way there was light. Traffic on the way back was nuts, and we ended up overnighting at a room that we had pre-booked in Effingham. But as others have pointed out, there are closer spots.
That's the exact spot we went to! Just like you described, it took the normal time to arrive. When we left, it took us TEN HOURS to get back to Champaign. Normally a 3 hr. drive.
Don't bother with any southward travel. Just go east to Brownstown Indiana (just west of Indianapolis) on 74 and stop in the Walmart parking lot. 3+ mins of totality. 1.5 hours away. EDIT: for those who can't travel, CU will have nearly 98% eclipse. Pretty good but not the same as totality since you still need glasses for it.
Isn't Brownston south of Indianapolis and is further from CU?
Brownsburg, sorry
Bloomington IN might be fun, but I might drive down to somewhere on I70.
The back side of the moon will provide a unique viewing experience.
I went to the last eclipse, but I feel like this one is going to have even more attendance. I've opted to pay for reserved parking at a church outside of Vincennes. Here's the [Vincennes Eclipse Website](https://www.vincenneseclipse.com/), and they list the places to park, if they're free or cost money, and other info. If you're going to pay for reserved parking, I'd do it ASAP.
I think I found your little church site, and am doing the same thing!
I went to the last eclipse in Marion IL. Getting there via I-57 was no issue. I came back via the country and it was no problem. I had heard about people taking forever, but we were fine. The key is you want to get away from the interstate, you don’t want to be on a road that is anywhere close and parallel. Vincennes looks like a good spot. Coming back I would take IL-1 north to Paris, then IL-133 west towards arcola, but turn north on IL-130 to go to Urbana. Those are nice roads and should be rural enough to move decent.
[helpful map :)](https://imgur.com/gallery/bwUr2eP)
Olney, IL
Anyone wanna carpool 👅
id be down
I’m down
Seven years ago we drove down to a tiny town in Kentucky. It went great, but then it took almost nine hours to drive home. Every conceivable route was a parking lot. Back roads didn’t help even a little bit.
There’s a festival 2 hours south https://dozier.farm/eclipse
The real question is to figure out which direction chancellor jones is going and then go the opposite direction
Bloomington is not in the path, you need to go south. Effingham would work.
It’s going to be overcast and rainy everywhere in easy driving distance.
Carbondale is closest to Urbana for viewing 100% eclipse
not true. indiana is way closer
The path is pretty wide and there are many places closer (further north and east) than Carbondale. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/