# Interstate 65 in Indiana

Interstate 65 (I-65) in the US state of Indiana traverses from the south-southeastern Falls City area bordering Louisville, Kentucky, through the centrally located capital city of Indianapolis, to the northwestern Calumet Region of the Hoosier State which is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The Indiana portion of I-65 begins in Jeffersonville after crossing the Ohio River and travels mainly north, passing just west of Columbus prior to reaching the Indianapolis metro area. Upon reaching Indianapolis, the route alignment of I-65 begins to run more to the northwest and subsequently passes Lafayette on that city's east and north sides. Northwest of there, in west-central Jasper County, the route again curves more northward as it approaches the Calumet Region. Shortly after passing a major junction with I-80 and I-94, I-65 reaches its northern national terminus in Gary at US Highway 12/US Highway 20 (US 12/US 20, Dunes Highway) after an interchange on I-90 (Indiana East–West Toll Road). I-65 covers 261.27 miles (420.47 km) in the state of Indiana. This is one of the principal Interstate Highways that cross the state, and, more specifically, intersect at the city of Indianapolis, that has given the state the nickname of "Crossroads of America".

## Route description

I-65 enters the state northbound at Jeffersonville (across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky) on the Abraham Lincoln Bridge; traffic exiting the state travels on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge. I-65 travels past Clark State Forest before reaching Seymour to the north. I-65 intersects with U.S. Highway 50 (US 50), providing access to Seymour to the west. US 31 runs parallel to the Interstate until it reaches Indianapolis. North of Seymour, I-65 passes through Columbus. Just north of Columbus, I-65 runs near Camp Atterbury, an Indiana National Guard training base. The Interstate continues north into Indianapolis.
I-65 crosses the I-465 loop before reaching Indianapolis. The section of I-65 in Downtown Indianapolis overlaps I-70. The junctions are often referred to as the "North Split" and the "South Split", forming a section of Interstate locally known as the "Inner Loop" or "Spaghetti Bowl" due to the visual complexity of the overlapping freeways. The "North Split" was closed for reconstruction in early 2021 and reopened to traffic in May 2023. As part of that reconstruction, the old ramps were replaced with ones that eliminate the lane switching that drivers originally had to perform to stay on I-70 eastbound and I-65 northbound.
In 1999, the 25-mile (40 km) segment of I-65 between the two I-465 interchanges was renamed the Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Highway. At milemarker 116, I-65 passes Crown Hill Cemetery, burial site and memorial of former-President Benjamin Harrison. I-65 leaves the I-465 loop on the northwest side of Indianapolis. The highway travels past Eagle Creek Park and it then passes the terminus of I-865 and picks up US 52.
The segment of I-65 north of Indianapolis heads in the direction of Chicago, Illinois. US 52 runs concurrently until the north side of Lebanon; US 52 runs parallel to I-65 from this point to Lafayette, located at about the halfway point between Indianapolis and Chicago. I-65 crosses the Wabash River in Lafayette and passes next to Prophetstown State Park.
North of Lafayette, I-65 parallels US 231 and passes through the open flatlands of northwest Indiana. Protruding from the fields are some of the hundreds of wind turbines of the Benton County Wind Farm and Fowler Ridge Wind Farm. At approximately mile 199.4 is the timezone boundary between Central Time (Jasper County) and Eastern Time (White County). The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) marked change in timezone with a two-sided blue sign in the center median.
Upon crossing into Lake County, over the Kankakee River, the highway is known as the Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway. It is known as this from that point to its northern terminus. The northern terminus of I-65 is only 0.125 miles (0.201 km) north of I-90 (Indiana Toll Road) in Gary.

## History
### Initial construction

Like all Interstate Highways in Indiana, I-65 was constructed in segments. There were six segments in the southern portion of the state between the Kentucky border and the south leg of I-465 in Indianapolis, nine within the I-465 loop and 11 more that made up the northern portion connecting the northwest side of Indianapolis to the Indiana Toll Road (I-90) in Gary.
The first section of I-65 to be completed in Indiana was the 16 miles (26 km) section between Jefferson and SR 160 in Henryville, which was dedicated and opened by then-Governor Harold W. Handley on September 14, 1960. The 13.39-mile (21.55 km) stretch between a temporary connection with US 52 near Royalton in Boone County (just south of the present-day interchange with I-865) and the US 52 junction northwest of Lebanon opened in December 1960. The initial southern Indiana portion, running 45.71 miles (73.56 km) between then-US 31E (now US 31) in Clarksville and US 50 east of Seymour, saw its first traffic in November 1961. The final of the 17 segments of I-65 outside of I-465, 23.09 miles (37.16 km) from State Road 252 (SR 252) near Edinburgh to Southport Road on Indianapolis's far south side, opened on June 30, 1972.
Unlike for most of portions of I-70 within the I-465 beltway, several inner sections of I-65 were built throughout the overall project lifespan. However, the final three segments from the south side through the heart of the city, including the common portion of I-65 and I-70 (east leg of the "Inner Belt"), were not finished and opened to traffic until October 1976.

### Subsequent improvements

Prior to 2004, the interchange from the Indiana Toll Road to southbound I-65 required making a physical left turn onto I-65 via a traffic signal; traffic from northbound I-65 to I-90 bypassed the traffic signal via an isolated right-turn lane. This deficiency has since been corrected by a grade-separation.
As part of the Operation Indy Commute project, INDOT began work in 2013 to widen I-65 on both northbound and southbound mainlines from exit 103 at Southport Road northward to the southern junction with I-465 (exit 106), adding auxiliary lanes in this section to improve merging of traffic entering southbound I-65 from I-465 and entering northbound I-65 from westbound Southport Road. To reduce congestion on I-65 South from I-465 west, the loop ramp from westbound I-465 was replaced by a flyover ramp to southbound I-65. The eastbound I-465 exit to southbound I-65 south was also expanded for improved merging with traffic from the new west-to-south flyover. Most of this work was completed in late 2014.

## Exit list

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Ohio River | Ohio River | 0.00 | 0.00 | | I-65 south – Louisville | Continuation into Kentucky |
| Abraham Lincoln Bridge (northbound toll in Kentucky) John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge (southbound toll in Kentucky) |||
| Clark | Jeffersonville | 0.32 | 0.51 | 0 | Court Avenue / 6th Street | No southbound exit |
| Clark | Jeffersonville–Clarksville line | 0.62– 1.73 | 1.00– 2.78 | 1 | 10th Street / Stansifer Avenue – New Albany US 31 south – Jeffersonville, Clarksville | Northbound signage; US 31 serves as service drives for I-65 through exit 4Southbound signage; last free exit southbound before toll bridge |
| Clark | Jeffersonville–Clarksville line | 2.07 | 3.33 | 2 | Eastern Boulevard | |
| Clark | Jeffersonville–Clarksville line | 3.82 | 6.15 | 4 | US 31 north / Lewis & Clark Parkway | Formerly SR 131 |
| Clark | Clarksville | 5.03 | 8.10 | 5 | Veterans Parkway | |
| Clark | Clarksville | 5.70 | 9.17 | 6 | I-265 / SR 62 – New Albany, Jeffersonville | I-265 exits 7A-B; signed as exits 6A (east) & 6B (west) |
| Clark | Sellersburg | 7.36 | 11.84 | 7 | SR 60 – Salem | |
| Clark | Sellersburg | 9.10 | 14.65 | 9 | Charlestown Road – Speed, Sellersburg, New Albany | Formerly SR 311 |
| Clark | Memphis | 15.78 | 25.40 | 16 | Blue Lick Road | |
| Clark | Henryville | 19.25 | 30.98 | 19 | SR 160 – Charlestown, Henryville | |
| Scott | Scottsburg | 29.32 | 47.19 | 29 | SR 56 (McClane Avenue) – Scottsburg, Salem | Signed as exits 29A (east) and 29B (west) southbound |
| Scott | Austin | 33.50 | 53.91 | 34 | SR 256 (Main Street) – Austin | Signed as exits 34A (east) and 34B (west) southbound |
| Jackson | Vernon Township | 36.52 | 58.77 | 36 | US 31 (Armstrong Street) – Crothersville, Austin | |
| Jackson | Vernon Township | 41.08 | 66.11 | 41 | SR 250 – Uniontown, Crothersville | |
| Jackson | Seymour | 49.55 | 79.74 | 50 | US 50 (Tipton Street) – North Vernon, Seymour, Brownstown | Signed as exits 50A (east) and 50B (west) |
| Jackson | Redding Township | 55.32 | 89.03 | 55 | SR 11 – Jonesville, Seymour | |
| Bartholomew | Columbus | 63.72 | 102.55 | 64 | SR 58 west (450 South) – Walesboro, Ogilville | |
| Bartholomew | Columbus | 68.29 | 109.90 | 68 | SR 46 (Jonathan Moore Pike) – Nashville, Columbus, Bloomington | |
| Bartholomew | Taylorsville | 75.74 | 121.89 | 76 | US 31 – Taylorsville, Columbus, Edinburgh | Signed as exits 76A (south) and 76B (north) |
| Shelby | Jackson Township | 80.06 | 128.84 | 80 | SR 252 (Shelbyville Road) – Edinburgh, Flat Rock | |
| Johnson | Franklin | 89.54 | 144.10 | 90 | SR 44 (King Street) – Shelbyville, Franklin | |
| Johnson | Pleasant Township | 94.41 | 151.94 | 95 | Whiteland Road – Whiteland | |
| Johnson | Pleasant Township | 97.22 | 156.46 | 97 | Worthsville Road | Diverging diamond interchange opened November 23, 2015 |
| Johnson | Greenwood | 99.13 | 159.53 | 99 | Main Street | |
| Johnson–Marion county line | Greenwood–Indianapolis line | 100.65 | 161.98 | 101 | County Line Road | |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 103.03 | 165.81 | 103 | Southport Road | |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 105.90 | 170.43 | 106 | I-69 / I-74 / I-465 / US 31 / US 36 / US 40 / SR 67 – Peoria, Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Evansville | I-465 exits 53A-B |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 107.05 | 172.28 | 107 | Keystone Avenue | |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 108.90 | 175.26 | 109 | Raymond Street | |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 109.97 | 176.98 | 110A | Morris Street, Prospect Street | Northbound exit; Southbound entrance |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 110.10 | 177.19 | 110B | I-70 west – St. Louis | Southern end of I-70 concurrency; I-70 east exit 80; northbound left exit to westbound I-70, left entrance by eastbound I-70; access to Indianapolis International Airport |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 110.39 | 177.66 | 110A | East Street | Southbound exit only |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 110.52 | 177.86 | 111 | Fletcher Avenue | Southbound exit (from C/D lanes) and northbound left entrance (via Calvary Street) |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 111.02 | 178.67 | 111 | Washington Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance (to C/D lanes); formerly US 40/US 52/US 421 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 111.20 | 178.96 | 111 | Ohio Street | Southbound exit (from C/D lanes) and northbound entrance via Pine Street (at Michigan Street) |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 111.49 | 179.43 | 111 | New York Street, Michigan Street | Southbound exit (from C/D lanes) via Davidson Street (at North Street) and northbound entrance via Pine Street (at Michigan Street) |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 111.60 | 179.60 | 112 | I-70 east – Columbus, Dayton | Northern end of I-70 concurrency; I-70 west exit 83B; split entrance from Pine Street (at Michigan Street) onto eastbound I-70 and left entry onto northbound I-65 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 112.96 | 181.79 | 113 | Pennsylvania Street, Meridian Street, Illinois Street | Split diamond interchange: Northbound exit to 12th Street (at Pennsylvania) and entrance (from 12th at Illinois); southbound exit to 11th Street (at Illinois) and entry (from 11th at Delaware Street); formerly US 31/SR 37 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 113.51 | 182.68 | 114 | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street to West Street | Formerly US 36/US 52/US 421/SR 67 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 114.26 | 183.88 | 115 | 21st Street | |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 115.32 | 185.59 | 116 | 29th Street, 30th Street | 29th and 30th streets form a one-way pairing; no southbound exit or access from 29th Street to north I-65 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 115.79 | 186.35 | 117 | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street | No northbound exit; formerly US 36/US 421/SR 67 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 118.89 | 191.33 | 119 | 38th Street | Directional access only; 38th Street serves as collector/distributor lanes for interchange with Kessler Boulevard and right-in/right-out access to/from Guion Road (no access to northbound I-65 from Guion) |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 120.69 | 194.23 | 121 | Lafayette Road | Formerly US 52 |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 122.69– 123.28 | 197.45– 198.40 | 123 | I-465 | Same-directional access only; I-465 exit 20; access to Indianapolis International Airport |
| Marion | Indianapolis | 124.17 | 199.83 | 124 | 71st Street | |
| Hendricks | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Boone | Eagle Township | 129.09 | 207.75 | 129 | I-865 east / US 52 east to I-465 east | Southern end of US 52 concurrency; western terminus of I-865; southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Boone | Eagle Township | 129.85 | 208.97 | 130 | CR 650 South/Oak Street – Zionsville, Whitestown | Formerly SR 334 |
| Boone | Eagle Township | 131.4 | 211.5 | 131 | CR 550 South – Whitestown | Diverging diamond interchange opened on June 26, 2023 |
| Boone | Perry Township | 133.08 | 214.17 | 133 | SR 267 south – Brownsburg, Whitestown | Diamond interchange rebuilt into a Diverging diamond interchange |
| Boone | Lebanon | 137.44 | 221.19 | 138 | Lebanon | Access via Hall Baker Road/Indianapolis Avenue |
| Boone | Lebanon | 138.61 | 223.07 | 139 | SR 39 (Lebanon Street) – Lizton, Lebanon | |
| Boone | Lebanon | 139.88 | 225.12 | 140 | SR 32 (South Street) – Lebanon, Crawfordsville | |
| Boone | Lebanon | 141.29 | 227.38 | 141 | Lafayette Avenue | Southbound left-hand exit permanently closed; northbound entrance only; to be replaced with new exit 143 |
| Boone | Center Township | 141.61 | 227.90 | 141 | US 52 west | North end of US 52 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance; to be replaced with new exit 143 |
| Boone | Lebanon | 143.0 | 230.1 | 143 | US 52 west / LEAP Lebanon Boulevard – Lafayette, Lebanon | New diverging diamond interchange to begin in 2025; will replace exit 141 |
| Boone | Washington Township | 145.61 | 234.34 | 146 | SR 47 – Thorntown, Sheridan | |
| Clinton | Washington Township | 157.56 | 253.57 | 158 | SR 28 – Frankfort, Attica | |
| Tippecanoe | Dayton | 168.16 | 270.63 | 168 | SR 38 (Walnut Street) – Dayton, Lafayette | |
| Tippecanoe | Lafayette | 171.73 | 276.37 | 172 | SR 26 east / South Street – Lafayette, Rossville | Western end of eastern segment of SR 26 |
| Tippecanoe | Lafayette | 174.77 | 281.27 | 175 | SR 25 east / Schuyler Avenue – Lafayette, Delphi | Southern end of the northern segment of SR 25 |
| Tippecanoe | West Lafayette | 177.90 | 286.30 | 178 | SR 43 north / River Road – Brookston, West Lafayette | Southern end of SR 43 |
| White | Prairie Township | 187.54 | 301.82 | 188 | SR 18 – Brookston, Fowler | |
| White | West Point Township | 192.96 | 310.54 | 193 | US 231 – Chalmers, Wolcott | |
| Jasper | Carpenter Township | 200.94 | 323.38 | 201 | US 24 / US 231 – Wolcott, Remington | |
| Jasper | Carpenter Township | 204.51 | 329.13 | 205 | US 231 – Remington, Rensselaer | |
| Jasper | Newton Township | 214.24 | 344.79 | 215 | SR 114 – Morocco, Rensselaer | |
| Jasper | Newton–Union township line | 219.94 | 353.96 | 220 | SR 14 – Winamac | |
| Jasper | Keener Township | 229.00 | 368.54 | 230 | SR 10 – Roselawn, DeMotte | |
| Newton | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Lake | Eagle Creek Township | 239.31 | 385.13 | 240 | SR 2 (181st Avenue) – Lowell, Hebron | Hebron signed northbound only |
| Lake | Crown Point | 246.68 | 396.99 | 247 | US 231 – Crown Point, Hebron | Hebron signed southbound only |
| Lake | Crown Point | 249.48 | 401.50 | 249 | 109th Avenue – Crown Point, Winfield | Interchange opened September 30, 2010 |
| Lake | Merrillville | 252.06 | 405.65 | 253 | US 30 (Lincoln Highway) – Merrillville, Valparaiso, Schererville | |
| Lake | Merrillville | 254.57 | 409.69 | 255 | 61st Avenue | |
| Lake | Hobart–Lake Station line | 257.67 | 414.68 | 258 | US 6 Bus. (Ridge Road) | |
| Lake | Gary | 259.06 | 416.92 | 259 | I-80 / I-94 / US 6 (Borman Expressway) – Chicago, Toledo, Detroit | I-80/I-94 exits 11-12; signed as exits 259A (west) & 259B (east) |
| Lake | Gary | 260.59– 261.22 | 419.38– 420.39 | 261 | 15th Avenue | |
| Lake | Gary | 260.59– 261.22 | 419.38– 420.39 | 262 | I-90 / Indiana Toll Road – Illinois, Ohio | I-90 / Toll Road exit 17; northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| Lake | Gary | 261.27 | 420.47 | | US 12 / US 20 / LMCT (Dunes Highway) – Portage, Gary | At-grade intersection; northern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Electronic toll collection Incomplete access Unopened |||||||

## Related routes
### Auxiliary routes

I-65 has three auxiliary routes in Indiana:
* I-265: The Indiana segment of the incomplete beltway around the Louisville metropolitan area, running from I-65 in Clarksville to I-64 in New Albany and signed the Lee Hamilton Freeway. The Indiana segment, plus the Lewis and Clark Bridge across the Ohio River to connect the Indiana segment of I-265 with the Kentucky segment, was completed in December 2016 but is currently not signed as I-265 between I-65 and the new bridge.
* I-465: A beltway around Indianapolis, signed as the USS Indianapolis Memorial Highway.
* I-865: A connector from I-65 to the northwest corner of I-465 in Indianapolis.

### Former business route

Business Loop 65 (BL 65) is a former business route of I-65 located in Lebanon and was the only business route for the entire route of I-65. The route took over the former alignment of US 52 and traveled up SR 39 (South Lebanon Street) from I-65 and then SR 32 (West South Street) back to I-65.