Origin
Columbus, OH
Late night in Columbus on Sunday
Local time
3:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbus, OH to Howard, OH
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
58.5 mi
94 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbus, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Howard, OH
Jovan Vasiljević
Trip Overview
This 58.5-mile drive from Columbus, OH, to Howard, OH, is a manageable one-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 21 minutes. With a fuel cost estimated at $9, it's an economical choice for a short excursion within the Midwest region. The route primarily utilizes local roads, offering a more intimate driving experience rather than a high-speed interstate journey. While there are no designated stops mentioned, the relatively short duration means you can easily complete this drive without needing an overnight stay, leaving you with flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest | 18.8 mi | 22m |
| Millersburg Road | 14 mi | 20m |
| Northeast Freeway | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| Johnstown Road | 5.9 mi | 7m |
| Morse Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Coshocton Road | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Jack Nicklaus Freeway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| West Coshocton Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest
— 18.8 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbus, OH and Howard, OH.
1
Start on this road
77 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto East State Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
East State Street
3
Turn right onto South High Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South High Street
Use the right lane.
4
Turn right onto East Chestnut Street
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
East Chestnut Street
Use the right lane.
5
At end of road, turn left onto US 23
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
North 4th Street
6
Keep slight right at fork onto Northeast Freeway
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Northeast Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
353 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 270 North, SR 161: Easton Way
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 10A
Toward I 270 North
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 270
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Jack Nicklaus Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 32
Toward Morse Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Morse Road
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Morse Road
Use the right lane.
12
Enter roundabout onto US 62
245 ft
·
3 sec
·
Johnstown Road
13
Continue on US 62
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Johnstown Road
Use the straight lane.
14
Enter roundabout onto US 62
111 ft
·
1 sec
·
Johnstown Road
15
Continue on US 62
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Johnstown Road
16
Enter roundabout onto US 62
99 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Main Street
17
Continue on US 62
0.7 mi
·
51 sec
·
West Main Street
18
Continue on US 62
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Johnstown Road
Use the straight lane.
19
Continue on US 62
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Continue on US 62
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
West Coshocton Street
21
Continue on US 62
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Continue on US 62
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Millersburg Road
23
Continue on US 62
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Liberty Street
24
Turn left onto US 62; SR 586
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
North Market Street
25
Continue on US 62
10 mi
·
14 min
·
Millersburg Road
26
Turn left
168 ft
·
5 sec
27
Turn left onto Bridge Street
470 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bridge Street
28
Turn right onto US 36
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Coshocton Road
29
Turn left
269 ft
·
19 sec
30
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.3 miles from Columbus, 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 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 10.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South High Street
Turn right onto South High Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
East Chestnut Street
Turn right onto East Chestnut Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Northeast Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto Northeast Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 270 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 10A
Toward I 270 North
7
10.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward Morse Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 32
Toward Morse Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.08 one way
$18.16 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.38 | $10.08 | $20.15 |
| premium | $4.91 | $11.31 | $22.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.92 | $25.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.14 | $2.81 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.4 | 0 | $8.19 | $3.74 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Howard, OH
Late night in Howard on Sunday
Local time
3:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Johnstown, OH
29 mi in
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
16 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 21m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for most of this 58.5-mile journey. With only about 15% of the route on highways, you'll be navigating a series of local roads, including stretches on Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest and Millersburg Road. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 18.8 miles on Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest. This profile suggests a driving experience that requires more attention to turns and varying speed limits as you pass through communities and rural areas, rather than a continuous high-speed cruise.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.8 mi on Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South High Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.5 miles you will encounter 19 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 0.1 miles (South High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (East Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (Northeast Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,170 ft
772 ft
Total Climb
535 ft
Total Descent
400 ft
Highest Point
1,170 ft
~29.3 mi in
Elevation Range
398 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Columbus, OH
Full guide →Columbus is the capital of the American state of Ohio and is located centrally within the state as the core of the Greater Columbus area. Sited in an area where the Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Appalachia, and the Farm Belt meet, Columbus is a fusion of many different parts of America. It is the home of the Ohio State University. The combination of Ohio Government and the Ohio State University has fueled amazing growth both financially and physically in Columbus. It has created a business and research environment that has provided substantial employment opportunities to the diverse ethnic and local graduates of the Ohio State University, and other academic institutions in Columbus. The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), is projected to be one of the top 50 supercomputers in the world and among the top 10 supercomputing academic centers.
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 21m. Total distance: 58.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.8 miles on Johnstown-Utica Road Northwest. 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 Howard, 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 0.1 miles (South High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (East Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (Northeast Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Howard, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Howard, OH
More trips to Howard, OH
Explore more options from Columbus, OH or browse trips ending in Howard, OH.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse OH road trips.