Origin
Columbus, OH
Afternoon in Columbus on Sunday
Local time
3:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbus, OH to Waynesville, 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 23m
Distance
71.8 mi
116 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbus, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Waynesville, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick escape from the city, the 71.8-mile journey from Columbus to Waynesville is an ideal day trip. Spanning approximately 1 hour and 23 minutes, this route keeps you within the Midwest, moving from the capital city into a more relaxed setting. You can expect to spend about $11 on fuel for the round trip, making it a budget-friendly outing for a Saturday or Sunday. Because the duration is quite manageable, there is no need for an overnight stay; you can comfortably complete the drive and explore your destination in a single day. Navigating through local streets like East State, South High, and West Town, you will experience a shift in scenery that feels distinct from a standard highway commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 71 | 61.7 mi | 1h 7m |
| SR 73 | 8.7 mi | 12m |
| South Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Town Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Civic Center Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 2nd Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East State Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South High Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 71
— 61.7 mi, about 1h 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbus, OH and Waynesville, OH.
1
Start on this road
77 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto East State Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
East State Street
3
Turn left onto South High Street
494 ft
·
20 sec
·
South High Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto West Town Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
West Town Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto Civic Center Drive
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Civic Center Drive
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on South 2nd Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
South 2nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
8
Merge onto I 71
62 mi
·
1 hr 7 min
·
I 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 45
Toward SR 73: Waynesville
10
Turn right onto SR 73
8.7 mi
·
12 min
·
SR 73
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn right
114 ft
·
5 sec
12
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
South Main Street
13
Arrive at destination
South Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.9 miles from Columbus, 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 61.7 miles.
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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 62.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South High Street
Turn left onto South High Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Town Street
Turn right onto West Town Street
Navigation decision point
7
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Civic Center Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Civic Center Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 71
Merge onto I 71
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
62.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
Take the exit toward SR 73: Waynesville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 45
Toward SR 73: Waynesville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.14 one way
$22.29 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.38 | $12.37 | $24.73 |
| premium | $4.91 | $13.88 | $27.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.85 | $31.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.5 | 0 | $7.54 | $3.45 |
| Efficient EV | 18 | 0 | $6.28 | $2.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.7 | 0 | $10.05 | $4.60 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Waynesville, OH
Afternoon in Waynesville on Sunday
Local time
3:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
51°F
Jeffersonville, OH
36 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
8 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 23m 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 that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Since the highway share for this route is 0%, you will spend the entire time navigating surface streets rather than settling into a high-speed lane. The personality of this drive is defined by frequent intersections and local traffic patterns, requiring you to stay alert through the various turns. Without any long, uninterrupted stretches, the pace of the trip remains steady and consistent throughout the 1 hour and 23 minutes behind the wheel. It is a hands-on driving experience that rewards those who prefer local backroads over the predictability of major expressways.
98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 61.7 mi on I 71.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 71 and SR 73. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South High Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 23m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (West Town Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Civic Center Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
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 23m. Total distance: 71.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (98%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 61.7 miles on I 71. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.2 miles (West Town Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Civic Center Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waynesville, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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