Car rental Indianapolis Airport (IND)

Once you’ve collected your rental car at Indianapolis Airport, it’s just 20 kilometres along Interstate 70 (I-70) to reach the heart of the city. In the opposite direction, I-70 leads south from the airport towards Terre Haute and then on towards St Louis, Missouri.

Other Interstates in and out of Indianapolis include I-69, which leads north towards Fort Wayne and south towards Evansville. Meanwhile, the I-65 provides a route to Lafayette and Louisville.

Another of Indiana’s big cities, Bloomington, is just over 80 kilometres away via State Route 37. The I-465, also known as the USS Indianapolis Memorial Highway, is a beltway that circles the city, crossing the other Interstates and providing additional access to I-65.

With car rental at Indianapolis Airport you’ll also be able to reach destinations in the surrounding states. It’s a three-hour drive on I-65 to Chicago, Illinois and around two hours to Cincinnati, Ohio on I-74.

Like most big US cities, the roads in Indianapolis can get busy around rush hour so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and allow extra time for your journey if you’re travelling at peak times.

The grid layout of the city makes driving straightforward, and you’ll find plenty of convenient parking spaces downtown. The speed limit on urban Interstates is generally 55mph  (88km/h), but this falls to 50mph (80km/h) on some stretches of the I-70.

In Indiana, yellow lane markings are used to separate traffic going in opposite directions. You’re permitted to cross a broken yellow line to pass another vehicle, but you can’t cross a solid yellow line unless you’re turning.

White lane markings are used to separate lanes of traffic going in the same direction. You may cross a broken white line when it is safe to do so, but you aren’t permitted to cross a solid white line. 

From sport to culture, Indianapolis offers a varied mix of attractions. With a rental car from Indianapolis Airport you’ll have the chance to venture out of the city and explore the sights and sounds of a wealth of nearby destinations.

Parks and culture

A fantastic place to begin your visit is White River State Park, on the edge of downtown. It’s home to some of the city’s biggest attractions, including Indianapolis Zoo, the Indiana State Museum and the NCAA Hall of Champions. Take the Canal Walk to enjoy excellent views of the city or hire a pedal boat and head out onto the water. 

Just a short drive from the park you can find another of the city’s cultural highlights, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, housed within a site that also includes the Oldfields historic estate and museum and Fairbanks Art and Nature Park.

Don’t forget the Indiana War Memorial, built to honour the veterans of World War I. This historic plaza houses a museum and several acres of fitting monuments and sculptures. Make sure you visit the Shrine Room, a hugely impressive symbolic space at its heart.

Sporting highlights

Perhaps the most famous venue in Indianapolis is the spectacular Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home to the Indy 500. Thousands of spectators descend on the city over Memorial Weekend to watch drivers race round 200 laps, for a distance of 500 miles (800 kilometres). Other major events staged at the stadium include the Brickyard 400, held in July.

If you don’t have tickets to a practice session or race you can still take a tour which includes the track, start line and the victory platform, plus the garage area. There’s also a museum where you can see exhibits telling the story of the Indy 500, plus the Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.

For NFL fans, tours are also available at the Indianapolis Colts stadium just across town. Operating Monday to Friday, these tours allow you to explore the press box, field and locker room as well as other behind the scenes areas.

Architectural gems

When you rent a car at Indianapolis Airport you’ll also be able to head out of the city to Columbus, a noted home of modern architecture and art.

There are a number of National Historic Landmarks here, including the glass-walled Irwin Conference Center designed by Eero Saarinen, and Eliel Saarinen’s First Christian Church, marking the beginning of the architectural movement in Columbus in 1942.  Look around the city and you’ll also spot sculptures by Henry Moore and a host of others.

It’s possible to take a bus tour from the Columbus Visitors’ Centre, which takes in more than 40 buildings and artworks and explains all about how this small city became a hub for modern architecture. It’s recommended you get tickets in advance, as the tours are often full to capacity. Walking tours and cycle routes are also available.

With Indianapolis Airport car rental, all this and much more is within reach during your time in the great state of Indiana.