Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
58.4 mi
94 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbus, OH
Wikimedia Commons
South Zanesville, OH
Tom Fisk
The drive from Columbus, OH to South Zanesville, OH covers 58.4 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East Freeway, East Livingston Avenue, Moxahala Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 50.9 miles on East Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.97 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Freeway | 50.9 mi | 55m |
| East Livingston Avenue | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| Moxahala Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Putnam Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Old River Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North 5th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South High Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Alum Creek Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 68 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,867 veh/hr typical · worst 3,589
Quietest
2 AM
~293 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.8×
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 Columbus, OH and South Zanesville, OH.
Start on this road
Turn right onto East State Street
Turn left onto South High Street
Turn left onto US 62; SR 3
Turn right onto US 23; US 33
Turn left onto US 23; US 33
Turn right onto Alum Creek Drive
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 70
Take the exit
Continue on North 5th Street
Continue on Canal Street
Turn right onto US 22; SR 93
Turn left onto Pierce Street
Turn right onto Moxahala Avenue
Continue on SR 555
Turn right onto Beechrock Drive
Arrive at destination
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.
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 29.2 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 3.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto South High Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 62; SR 3 / East Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto US 23; US 33 / South Third Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 23; US 33 / East Livingston Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 70 East
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Regular Gas
$8.97 one way
$17.94 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $10.12 | $20.23 |
| premium | $4.98 | $11.45 | $22.91 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.87 | $25.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.13 | $2.80 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.11 | $2.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.4 | 0 | $8.18 | $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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Columbus on Friday
Local time
5:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in South Zanesville on Friday
Local time
5:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Clear
86°F
Etna, OH
29 mi in
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
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
58.4 mi in 1h 13m, mostly highway — 50.9 mi of that is on East Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on East Freeway and East Livingston Avenue. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South High Street.
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 58.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.4 miles (US 62; SR 3 / East Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (US 23; US 33 / South Third Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
638 ft
Total Descent
681 ft
Highest Point
1,083 ft
~20.9 mi in
Elevation Range
369 ft
Founded 1812
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 58.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). 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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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