Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 38m
Distance
243.8 mi
392 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$37
one way
EV Charging
Excellent
20 DC fast
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Akron, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Cleves, OH
www.kaboompics.com
The drive from Akron, OH to Cleves, OH covers 243.8 miles and takes about 4h 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 71, Circle Freeway, Kenmore Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 191 miles on I 71. At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.44 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
121.9 miles from Akron, OH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 18m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 71 | 191 mi | 3h 29m |
| Circle Freeway | 21.2 mi | 24m |
| Kenmore Expressway | 19.8 mi | 24m |
| Hamilton Cleves Pike | 5.1 mi | 9m |
| Innerbelt | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| I 76 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Cincinnati Louisville Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Bowery Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 158 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,106 veh/hr typical · worst 2,829
Quietest
2 AM
~233 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Akron, OH and Cleves, OH.
Start on West Bowery Street
Turn right onto West Center Street
At end of road, turn left onto SR 59
Turn straight onto SR 59
Merge onto I 76; I 77
Keep slight right at fork onto I 76
Take the exit
Merge onto I 71
Keep slight right at fork onto I 71
Take the exit
Merge onto I 275
Take the exit
Turn left onto SR 128
Turn left onto US 50
Turn left onto SR 264
Turn right onto South Miami Avenue
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 54 miles or 1h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 121.9 miles or 2h 18m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cleves, OH than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Akron, OH so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Akron, OH
This is one driving day of about 243.8 miles and 4h 38m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
122 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 54 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 121.9 miles from Akron, OH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 71 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 191 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 237.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn left onto SR 59 / Rand Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Keep slight right at fork onto I 76 / Kenmore Expressway toward I 76 West: Barberton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 71 South: Columbus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 275 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward SR 128: Cleves, Hamilton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$37.44 one way
$74.89 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $42.23 | $84.47 |
| premium | $4.98 | $47.82 | $95.64 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $53.74 | $107.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 85.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
EV Charging Along Route
20 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent
Seville, OH - Tesla Supercharger
Seville, OH
12 DCFC
Ashland, OH - Enterprise Parkway - Tesla Supercharger
Ashland, OH
12 DCFC
Polaris, OH - Tesla Supercharger
Columbus, OH
10 DCFC
Mt. Gilead, OH - Tesla Supercharger
Mt. Gilead, OH
8 DCFC
Pilot Travel Center 455
Marengo, OH
6 DCFC
Columbus MB.HPC
Sunbury, OH
6 DCFC
Lewis Center
Lewis Center, OH
6 DCFC
IKEA Store 511 (Columbus, OH)
Columbus, OH
6 DCFC
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 73.1 | 0 | $25.60 | $11.70 |
| Efficient EV | 61 | 0 | $21.33 | $9.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 97.5 | 1 | $34.13 | $15.60 |
Gas CO2
85 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Akron on Wednesday
Local time
11:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Night in Cleves on Wednesday
Local time
11:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Partly Cloudy
86°F
Delaware, OH
122 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Park
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
243.8 mi in 4h 38m, mostly highway — 191 mi of that is on I 71.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 71 and Circle Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near SR 59 / Rand Avenue.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 243.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (SR 59 / Rand Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 3.3 miles (I 76 / Kenmore Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
619 ft
Total Descent
1,083 ft
Highest Point
1,303 ft
~52.2 mi in
Elevation Range
807 ft
Founded 1825
Akron is a city of almost 200,000 people (2019) in the Northeast Ohio region in Summit County. Akron is proud of its heritage as a center of industry, and now offers visitors a wide range of recreational and cultural attractions, food experiences, and shopping.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 38m. Total distance: 243.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NREL for EV charging, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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