Origin
Cincinnati, OH
Late night in Cincinnati on Tuesday
Local time
5:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cincinnati, OH to Clayton, OH
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
63.1 mi
102 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cincinnati, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Clayton, OH
Jovan Vasiljević
Trip Overview
Cincinnati to Clayton is 63.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via Mill Creek Expressway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Ohio, traversing the Midwest region from start to finish. Expect a drive that is primarily on highways, making it a straightforward and relatively quick journey. It's a solid option if you're looking for an efficient drive without extensive planning, perfect for a single-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek Expressway | 46.5 mi | 55m |
| Salem Avenue | 11.4 mi | 16m |
| Vine Street | 2 mi | 4m |
| Jefferson Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| SR 49 | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Salem Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Brookville Salem Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Mitchell Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Mill Creek Expressway
— 46.5 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cincinnati, OH and Clayton, OH.
1
Start on Ohio Avenue
99 ft
·
6 sec
·
Ohio Avenue
2
Turn right onto West McMillan Avenue
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
West McMillan Avenue
3
Turn left onto Vine Street
282 ft
·
10 sec
·
Vine Street
4
Continue on Jefferson Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Jefferson Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on Vine Street
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Vine Street
Use the left lane.
6
Turn left onto West Mitchell Avenue
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
West Mitchell Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 75 North: Dayton
8
Merge onto I 75
46 mi
·
55 min
·
Mill Creek Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 53
Toward Second Street, Salem Avenue, 1st Street
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto West 2nd Street
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
West 2nd Street
11
Continue on West 1st Street
381 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 1st Street
12
Continue on Salem Avenue
11 mi
·
16 min
·
Salem Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Take the exit onto SR 49
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
SR 49
Exit 24
Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 49
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
SR 49
Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
15
Turn right
327 ft
·
9 sec
16
Continue on Brookville Salem Road
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
Brookville Salem Road
17
Continue on West Salem Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Salem Street
18
Turn left onto Talmadge Road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Talmadge Road
19
Arrive at destination
Talmadge Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.6 miles from Cincinnati, OH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 62.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
West Mitchell Avenue
Turn left onto West Mitchell Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
3.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 75 / Mill Creek Expressway
Merge onto I 75 / Mill Creek Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
49.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward Second Street, Salem Avenue, 1st Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 53
Toward Second Street, Salem Avenue, 1st Street
8
61.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
SR 49
Take the exit onto SR 49 toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 24
Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
6
62.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
SR 49
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 49 toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.79 one way
$19.59 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.38 | $10.87 | $21.74 |
| premium | $4.91 | $12.20 | $24.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.93 | $27.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.63 | $3.03 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Clayton, OH
Late night in Clayton on Tuesday
Local time
5:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 24m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly highway-focused, with 74% of the drive utilizing faster roads. You'll experience a significant stretch of 46.5 miles on the Mill Creek Expressway, which sets the pace for much of the journey. While it's largely a highway drive, you'll also navigate sections on Salem Avenue and Vine Street, offering a slight change in scenery and speed as you progress. The overall feel is one of steady progress rather than winding scenic byways.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 46.5 mi on Mill Creek Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Mill Creek Expressway and Salem Avenue. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in near West Mitchell Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.1 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles (West Mitchell Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (I 75 / Mill Creek Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Cincinnati, OH
Full guide →Founded 1788
Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city and the largest metro region, and lies on the north bank of the Ohio River in Southwest Ohio in the United States of America. Cincinnati is distinct amongst Midwestern cities. Its culture is a mixture of the Northeast, Old South, Midwest, and Appalachia blended with a strong German-Catholic heritage. It was one of the United States' early boomtowns, and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is the largest National Historic District in the country. Today, it's part of a fast-growing metro area, and home to a remarkable blend of industry and architecture. Downtown Cincinnati is surrounded by picturesque foothills that add a beautiful backdrop to the Queen City and its legendary skyline – celebrated in the opening credits of television show WKRP in Cincinnati.
Top landmarks
- • Carew Tower — skyscraper in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- • Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains — cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati in downtown Cincinnati...
- • Cincinnati Observatory — other organization in Cincinnati, United States
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 63.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 46.5 miles on Mill Creek Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Clayton, OH before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles (West Mitchell Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (I 75 / Mill Creek Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clayton, OH before heading back.
How this page is built
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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