Written by the Prestige Lux Limos team — a veteran-owned, licensed and insured Chicago limo company, 10+ years serving Chicagoland and the Notre Dame corridor. Updated September 19, 2026.
Quick answer: Notre Dame is about 90 miles east of downtown Chicago, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes by car, and longer on a home football Saturday. Two things catch people out: South Bend is on Eastern time, so you lose an hour driving east, and campus parking on game day is limited and slow to clear. Most groups book round trip with the chauffeur staying. We run this corridor year-round — games, campus visits, move-in, graduation, reunions and student airport runs. Call or text (708) 696-3117, or reserve online.
Notre Dame Transportation From Chicago: Game Days, Campus Visits, Move-In and Graduation, the Eastern Time Trap, Airport Runs for Students, and What It Costs
Game weekend, graduation or move-in? These are the busiest dates on the corridor all year. Reserve early — larger vehicles go first.
📞 Call (708) 696-3117 · 💬 Text us · 💻 Reserve online
Distance and Drive Time From Every Starting Point
| From | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Chicago / the Loop | ~90 miles | 1 hr 45 min – 2 hr 15 min |
| O’Hare (ORD) | ~110 miles | 2 hr – 2 hr 45 min |
| Midway (MDW) | ~95 miles | 1 hr 45 min – 2 hr 30 min |
| Naperville | ~110 miles | 2 hr – 2 hr 45 min |
| Schaumburg | ~115 miles | 2 hr 15 min – 3 hr |
| Orland Park / Tinley Park | ~80 miles | 1 hr 30 min – 2 hr |
| Evanston / North Shore | ~110 miles | 2 hr – 2 hr 45 min |
| Gary (GYY) | ~60 miles | 1 hr – 1 hr 20 min |
The route runs I-90 and the Indiana Toll Road, or I-80/94 through northwest Indiana. Tolls are included in our flat rate.
The Eastern Time Trap
South Bend is on Eastern time. Chicago is Central. You lose an hour driving east and gain it coming back, and it catches out more families than traffic does.
- A 2:30 p.m. kickoff in South Bend is 1:30 p.m. Chicago time
- A 9:00 a.m. campus tour means leaving Chicago around 6:00 a.m. Central
- A 10:00 a.m. flight out of O’Hare, leaving South Bend, needs a departure around 6:00 a.m. Eastern once you account for the drive and check-in
How we handle it: tell us the time of the event or flight and which city it’s in. Dispatch does the conversion and builds the pickup around it. Nobody should miss a tour, a ceremony or a flight over a time zone.
Game Day at Notre Dame
Home football Saturdays are the busiest dates on this corridor all year, and they run differently from a normal trip.
- Leave earlier than the drive time suggests. Traffic thickens for miles around campus, and the last stretch can take as long as the previous hour
- Parking is the real constraint. Campus and surrounding lots fill early and clear slowly. A chauffeured vehicle removes the search entirely
- Leaving takes longer than arriving. Everyone exits at once. Groups that wait out the first 30 to 45 minutes somewhere warm get home earlier than groups that rush the car
- Drop-off happens as close as the traffic plan allows, usually a short walk in. Your chauffeur stages outside the closure ring and meets you at an agreed point afterward
- Set the pickup point before kickoff. Cell service around a full stadium is unreliable, and a plan made in advance survives a dropped call
Round trip or one way? For a day trip, book round trip with the chauffeur staying. After a home game thousands of people want a ride at the same moment from a small city, and return availability disappears.
Every Notre Dame Trip We Run
| Trip | What matters |
|---|---|
| Football game days | Round trip, hourly, tailgate gear, early departure |
| Campus visits and admissions tours | The chauffeur waits during the tour, then takes you back. Watch the time zone |
| Move-in weekend | SUVs and Sprinters with room for boxes, bedding and a fridge |
| Move-out and summer storage runs | Same vehicles, reverse direction |
| Parents’ weekend | Multiple stops, restaurant and hotel transfers |
| Graduation and commencement | The busiest weekend of the year. Book months ahead |
| Reunions and alumni weekends | Group vehicles, multi-day bookings |
| Student airport runs | Start and end of term, to O’Hare or Midway, usually booked by parents out of state |
| Basketball and other sports | Purcell Pavilion and campus venues |
| Four Winds Field | Baseball in downtown South Bend |
| Campus events and conferences | Corporate and academic groups |
| Wedding parties | Campus chapel weddings and South Bend venues |
Student Airport Runs: The Booking Parents Make Most
Start and end of term, plus every break, students need to get between campus and a Chicago airport. It’s usually a parent booking from out of state for someone they can’t drive themselves.
- We track the flight and adjust for delays, so a late arrival doesn’t mean a missing ride
- Meet-and-greet inside baggage claim is available, which most parents choose for a first trip
- You book, we coordinate with the student — enter their name and cell number and we deal with them directly on the day
- Standing arrangements for families who make the trip several times a year
See O’Hare limo service and Midway limo service.
Vehicles for the Corridor
| Vehicle | Seats | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Executive sedan | Up to 3 | Campus visits, student airport runs, couples |
| Cadillac Escalade | Up to 6 | Families, game day groups |
| Lincoln Navigator | Up to 7 | Larger families |
| Chevrolet Suburban / GMC Yukon XL | Up to 6 | Move-in weekend, luggage-heavy trips |
| Ford Expedition | Up to 6 | Group travel with gear |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van | Up to 14 | Game day groups, reunions, wedding parties, full move-ins |
Size by cargo, not seats. A family of four at move-in with bedding, boxes and a mini fridge needs a Suburban or a Sprinter, not a sedan. Same on game day once coolers and chairs are involved. Tell dispatch what’s coming and we’ll size it properly. See our fleet.
What It Costs
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| Chicago → Notre Dame, sedan | {{RATE_ND_SEDAN}} |
| Chicago → Notre Dame, SUV | {{RATE_ND_SUV}} |
| Chicago → Notre Dame, Sprinter | {{RATE_ND_SPRINTER}} |
| O’Hare → Notre Dame | {{RATE_ORD_ND}} |
| Round trip, same day | {{RATE_ND_ROUND_TRIP}} |
| Hourly, chauffeur stays | {{RATE_HOURLY}} · {{HOURLY_MINIMUM}} minimum |
Flat rates, quoted before you book, tolls included, no surge pricing — not on game weekends, not at graduation, not in a snowstorm.
Winter on This Corridor
Lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan hits the stretch through northwest Indiana and into Michiana hard, and it can go from clear to whiteout within a few miles while Chicago stays dry. Our chauffeurs run this route year-round and build buffer into winter departures rather than hoping conditions hold. That matters most for basketball season, winter campus visits and holiday travel.
Beyond Campus
The same corridor serves Mishawaka, Granger, Elkhart, Goshen, Niles and Michigan City, plus the Harbor Country towns — New Buffalo, Union Pier and St. Joseph — and Four Winds Casino. See long distance limo service and our Notre Dame service area page.
Booking Checklist
- Date, and the time of the event or flight — and which time zone
- Pickup and drop-off addresses
- Passenger count and what’s coming with you
- Round trip or one way
- Whether the chauffeur should wait (hourly) or drop and return
- Flight numbers for airport legs
- Any stops along the way
- A cell number for day-of coordination
Notre Dame Transportation FAQs
How far is Notre Dame from Chicago?
About 90 miles from downtown, roughly 110 from O’Hare and 95 from Midway.
How long is the drive?
Normally 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, longer on game days and in winter weather.
Is South Bend in a different time zone?
Yes. South Bend is Eastern and Chicago is Central, so you lose an hour driving east. We build the conversion into your pickup time.
What time should we leave for a 2:30 kickoff?
That’s 1:30 Chicago time. Leaving by about 8:00 a.m. Central is comfortable and leaves room to tailgate.
Should we book round trip?
For a day trip, yes. After a home game thousands of people want a ride at once from a small city, and return availability disappears.
Can the chauffeur wait during a campus tour?
Yes. Book hourly and the vehicle and chauffeur stay with you.
Do you handle move-in weekend?
Yes, with Suburbans, Yukons and Sprinters sized for boxes, bedding and a mini fridge rather than just passengers.
Can you pick my student up at O’Hare and take them to campus?
Yes. We track the flight, offer meet-and-greet at baggage claim, and coordinate directly with the student on the day.
Do you charge more on game or graduation weekends?
No. Flat rates with no surge pricing at any time.
How far ahead should we book graduation?
Months. It’s the single busiest weekend of the year on this corridor.
Do you go to Mishawaka, Granger and Elkhart?
Yes, along with Niles, Michigan City and the Harbor Country beach towns.
What about winter weather?
Lake-effect snow hits this corridor hard while Chicago can stay clear. We run it year-round and build in buffer time.
Reserve Your Notre Dame Trip
Reserve online · Call (708) 696-3117 · Text (708) 696-3117 · 24/7 dispatch
Related: Chicago to South Bend car service · South Bend game day guide · Notre Dame limo service · long distance limo · our fleet
