Valparaiso and Chicago State in 2 Days: A Northwest Indiana and Chicago College Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing Valparaiso University and Chicago State University in two days from one Valparaiso hotel: how each tour works, where to park, four hotels across price tiers, drive times to Chicago, Midway and O'Hare, sibling stops and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 31, 2026.
The Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University on an October evening (Oct 2023). Photo: Mjschep · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 31, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, IN; Missouri Valley Conference) · Chicago State University (Chicago, IL; Northeast Conference)
Days
2 days: book Chicago State first, since its individual tours run only midweek afternoons, then fit Valpo's weekday tour on the other day.
Fly into
Chicago Midway (MDW), 57 miles from Valpo and about 30 minutes from Chicago State with no traffic, or O'Hare (ORD), 74 miles from Valpo.
Best base
Country Inn & Suites in Valparaiso, across from campus and about 2 minutes by car from Valpo; Chicago State is about 65 minutes away with no traffic.
Car or transit
Rent a car: the two campuses are about 46 miles apart, and both schools give driving and parking instructions.
Registration
Book each campus visit on the school's own registration page. Chicago State's individual tours are first-come, first-served.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare two Division I universities on the south end of Lake Michigan: Valparaiso, a private university about an hour southeast of Chicago, and Chicago State, a public university on Chicago's South Side.
Both visits are about an hour of touring plus time with admissions. Valpo visitors pick up a free parking permit at the University Police Department, and Chicago State visitors pay a daily parking fee at a campus parking booth.
Why this order
Valpo: the Campus Tour and Information Session includes a one-hour walking tour of campus and an information session with an admission counselor. When you register, you can ask for an academic appointment in your student's main area of interest.
Chicago State: the individual tour lasts about an hour and includes a conversation with an admissions counselor, a full walking tour of the main campus and a chance to learn about next steps. It's for a prospective student plus up to 2 guests.
Plan ahead: registration and timing
Chicago State's individual tours are offered only on certain weekday afternoons and fill first-come, first-served, with two individual visits a day. Book that day first, and cancel at least 3 days ahead if plans change.
Valpo's Campus Tour and Information Session runs Monday through Friday during the school year, with Honors College tours on select Fridays. Valpo lists no-tour dates, including November 23–24, 2026 (by request only) and much of the winter break, on its registration page.
Weekends: Valpo offers Saturday events instead of daily tours, including Explore Nursing and Health Professions Day on November 7, 2026, and Preview Day, its open house with a campus tour, on November 14, 2026.
Student-athletes: Valpo's registration pages say families who want to meet NCAA Division I coaches must contact the coaches directly to set that up.
Tour availability varies by season.
Already applied to Chicago State? Its tour portal asks applicants to bring sealed transcripts to the visit.
Valpo also offers admitted student tours, overnight visits and a virtual tour, all linked from its Visit page.
2. The suggested 2-day drive
Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and walking times use OpenStreetMap foot routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Valpo times are to the center of campus and Chicago State times are to its campus at 9501 S. King Drive. Chicago traffic and construction on I-80/94 can add a lot of time, and Valpo asks drivers to allow extra time on that stretch.
Arrival: fly into Midway or O'Hare and drive to Valparaiso
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) → Country Inn & Suites Valparaiso (2020 LaPorte Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~84 min, 55.1 mi
Driving and walking
Rental car
Valpo lists Midway at 57 miles and O'Hare at 74 miles from campus, with Gary/Chicago (GYY) at 31 miles and South Bend (SBN) at 56 miles.
From either Chicago airport, Valpo's directions follow I-294 south to I-80/90 east, then IN-49 south in Chesterton and US-30 west into Valparaiso.
Without a rental car to start: City Zoom runs an O'Hare-only shuttle to the Valparaiso area, and the South Shore Line train stops in Chesterton, about 20 minutes from Valpo.
Day 1: Valparaiso University, then the Indiana Dunes
Country Inn & Suites → Valparaiso University (Duesenberg Welcome Center area)
Driving (no traffic)
~2 min, 0.6 mi
Driving and walking
~10 min walk, 0.5 mi
Country Inn & Suites → Valparaiso University Police Department (813 LaPorte Ave.) for a visitor permit
Driving (no traffic)
~3 min, 0.9 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Country Inn & Suites → Indiana Dunes Visitor Center (1215 N. State Road 49, Porter)
Driving (no traffic)
~22 min, 13.3 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Undergraduate Admission is in the Duesenberg Welcome Center, (219) 464-5011.
In town without a tour booking? Call admission at 219.464.5011 to ask about a same-day tour, or pick up a self-guided tour map just outside the main doors of the Duesenberg Welcome Center.
Day 2: Chicago State University, then fly home from Midway
Country Inn & Suites Valparaiso → Chicago State University (9501 S. King Dr.)
Driving (no traffic)
~65 min, 46.2 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Chicago State University → Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (Hyde Park)
Driving (no traffic)
~15 min, 7.4 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Chicago State University → Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Driving (no traffic)
~30 min, 13.3 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Pay the daily visitor parking fee at the 95th Street booth (95th St. and St. Lawrence) or the 99th Street booth (99th St. and King Drive); CSU says every vehicle on campus needs a decal, daily hang-tag or permit.
Chicago State recommends comfortable walking shoes for its campus tour.
3. Campus by campus
The Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University on an October evening (Oct 2023). Photo: Mjschep · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
The Campus Tour and Information Session pairs a one-hour walking tour with an information session led by an admission counselor, and you can request an academic appointment when you register.
Undergraduate Admission is in the Duesenberg Welcome Center.
Visitor parking
Visitors who park on campus need a free visitor's parking permit from the Parking & Transportation Office at the University Police Department, 813 LaPorte Avenue. No permit is needed for special events open to the public, such as games, plays and concerts.
Getting there
Valpo is an hour southeast of Chicago and 2.5 hours north of Indianapolis, near I-65, I-80/90, I-94, US-30 and IN-49; from Chesterton, take IN-49 south about 8 miles, then US-30 west.
The V-Line bus has stops at the South Shore Line station, the university and downtown Valparaiso.
What to know
Self-guided tour maps are available just outside the main doors of the Duesenberg Welcome Center if you arrive outside open hours.
Chicago State University in Chicago, seen from a South Shore Line train (Sep 2007). Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
The individual tour lasts about an hour: a conversation with an admissions counselor, a full walking tour of the main campus and next steps. It's for a prospective student and up to 2 guests.
Individual visits are first-come, first-served, with two a day; cancel at least 3 days ahead if you can't make it.
Visitor parking
Visitors pay a daily parking fee at the 95th Street booth (95th St. and St. Lawrence) or the 99th Street booth (99th St. and King Drive). Booth hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CSU's parking page lists a $5 daily guest and visitor rate for its Fall 2025 to Summer 2026 permit year, so check the page for the current rate.
Getting there
Use 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL 60628 in your GPS. Chicago State is about 65 minutes by car from the Valparaiso hotels and about 30 minutes from Midway with no traffic.
What to know
Chicago State's visit program also includes a presentation on its academic programs, campus resources and student support services.
Contact
Chicago State Admissions: admissions@csu.edu, 773.995.2513.
Last checked Oct 31, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: one base in Valparaiso for both nights
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Valparaiso, IN
2020 LaPorte Ave., Valparaiso, IN 46383
Why here
Across from campus: about 2 minutes by car or a 10-minute walk to Valpo, and about 65 minutes to Chicago State with no traffic. Valpo's lodging list says to ask for the "prospective student" discount.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists an indoor pool and breakfast. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Valparaiso's Expedia hotels are 2- to 3-star properties, so there's no Upscale tier here. Valpo's lodging list also includes the Grand Gardner Hotel in downtown Valparaiso, 1.7 miles from campus, which we couldn't find on Expedia, so we don't link it.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
Near your hotel
The Country Inn, Fairfield and Hampton listings on Expedia include breakfast, so you can eat before the tour or the drive to Chicago.
Around Valparaiso
Valpo's Area Lodging and Dining page lists local hotels and restaurants for visiting families.
6. Things for siblings along the route
With siblings
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N. State Road 49, Porter, IN
About 22 minutes north of the Valparaiso hotels on Lake Michigan. Unless posted otherwise, public areas are open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; the park's Fees & Passes page lists entrance passes.
Valpo asks drivers coming from Chicago to allow extra time for road construction on I-80/94.
Get Valpo's free visitor permit at the University Police Department, 813 LaPorte Avenue, before parking; at Chicago State, pay the daily fee at the 95th Street or 99th Street booth.
Flying in and out
Midway (MDW) is the handiest airport for this route: 57 miles from Valpo and about 30 minutes from Chicago State with no traffic. O'Hare (ORD) is 74 miles from Valpo.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Chicago Midway Airport, about 45 miles northwest of Valparaiso)
Spring: April averages about 60°F highs and 41°F lows, with about 3.6 inches of precipitation.
Summer: July averages about 85°F/68°F, with about 3.6 inches of precipitation, so plan for heat and storms on the walking tours.
Fall: October averages about 63°F/47°F, with about 3.5 inches of precipitation.
Winter: January averages about 33°F/19°F, so pack warm layers and leave extra time for the drive.
Parent checklist
Book Chicago State's individual tour first, then Valpo's Campus Tour and Information Session on the other day.
Plan Valpo's free visitor permit and money for Chicago State's daily parking fee.
Book flights into Midway (MDW) or O'Hare (ORD) plus a rental car.
Book a Valparaiso hotel for both nights, and ask the Country Inn about its prospective student discount.
After the visits, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
2 Division I
Athletics
Valparaiso University
NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Valparaiso University and Chicago State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 31, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Valparaiso, IN (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Valparaiso-Hotels-Country-Inn-Suites-By-Radisson.h1849803.Hotel-Information)
Expedia: Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Valparaiso (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Valparaiso-Hotels-Fairfield-Inn-And-Suites-By-Marriott-Valparaiso.h42565.Hotel-Information)
Expedia: Hampton Inn & Suites Valparaiso (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Valparaiso-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-Suites-Valparaiso.h892572.Hotel-Information)
Expedia: Super 8 by Wyndham Valparaiso (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Valparaiso-Hotels-Super-8-By-Wyndham-Valparaiso.h313945.Hotel-Information)
