when I lived in Valparaiso, IN it was about an hour back and an hour forth to Lowell. Country roads, the town of Hebron, farmlands. Great experience.
When I moved to Lowell, it was only a mile from my place to work. So, sometimes I just walked. I rarely had the need to use the AC in the Midwest.
Now I'm back home, I live about 10 mi from my workplace and it takes about an hour to get in either direction (sometimes more). Tons of traffic, reckeless drivers, speed bumps, pot holes. It's not even July and it's super hot. Crank up that AC.