Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 35m
Distance
230.7 mi
371 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$35
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dayton, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Yellow Creek, OH
Sergej
Dayton, OH to Yellow Creek, OH is 230.7 miles and takes about 4h 35m via East Freeway and I 70, with a fuel budget near $37 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Ohio, traveling through the Midwest region. The route offers a straightforward drive, primarily on highways, making it a convenient option for a single-day excursion. Expect a consistent pace for most of your travel time, with a manageable distance for a day trip.
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
115.3 miles from Dayton, OH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 10m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Freeway | 74.8 mi | 1h 22m |
| I 70 | 49.2 mi | 53m |
| Cadiz Road | 21.6 mi | 24m |
| Cadiz-Piedmont Road | 16.5 mi | 22m |
| SR 4 | 16.2 mi | 20m |
| SR 7 | 15.9 mi | 22m |
| US 22 | 14.7 mi | 15m |
| Cadiz-Steubenville Road | 8.6 mi | 11m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 126 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,239 veh/hr typical · worst 3,897
Quietest
2 AM
~327 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.9×
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 Dayton, OH and Yellow Creek, OH.
Start on South Main Street
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto SR 4
Take the exit onto SR 4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70
Continue on I 70
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70
Continue on I 70
Take the exit
Continue on SR 723
Turn right onto US 22; US 40
Turn left onto US 22; US 40
Turn slight right onto US 22; US 40; SR 209
Turn slight left onto US 22
Continue on US 22
Continue on US 22; SR 800
Continue on US 22; US 250
Continue on US 22
Take the exit
Turn left onto SR 7
Take the exit
Turn straight onto T-1068
Continue on Clark Avenue
Continue on County Highway 7 C
Arrive at destination
Given the 4h 35m duration, leaving Dayton, OH in the morning is ideal to maximize daylight. With only one recommended stop and a fuel cost around $37, this is an easy same-day trip. The longest stretch is nearly 75 miles, so plan your fuel and rest stops accordingly before embarking on that segment. Since the drive is under 5 hours, you have flexibility if you encounter unexpected delays or decide to take a brief detour. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach the later stages of the trip, especially before transitioning off the main highways.
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 51 miles or 58m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 115.3 miles or 2h 10m 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 39m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Yellow Creek, OH than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Dayton, 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 Dayton, OH
This is one driving day of about 230.7 miles and 4h 35m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
115 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 51 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 115.3 miles from Dayton, OH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before East Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 74.8 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 0.8 and 66.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 75 North, SR 4 North: Toledo, Springfield
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward SR 4 North: Springfield
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto SR 4 toward US 70 East, SR 4 North: Columbus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70 / West Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$35.43 one way
$70.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $39.96 | $79.93 |
| premium | $4.98 | $45.25 | $90.50 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $50.85 | $101.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$35
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$60–$85
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 80.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 69.2 | 0 | $24.22 | $11.07 |
| Efficient EV | 57.7 | 0 | $20.19 | $9.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 92.3 | 1 | $32.30 | $14.76 |
Gas CO2
81 kg
EV CO2
27 kg (67% 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 Dayton on Monday
Local time
9:42 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Night in Yellow Creek on Monday
Local time
9:42 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Partly Cloudy then Patchy Fog
64°F
Caldwell, OH
115 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 Historical Park
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was established to honor the lives and achievements of poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar and aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Through p...
National Monument
Throughout his life, Charles Young overcame countless obstacles in his ascent to prominence. In spite of overt racism and stifling inequality, Young rose through the military ranks to become one of th...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This drive is mostly highway, with 76% of the 230.7 miles on major roadways like East Freeway and I 70. You'll encounter the longest stretch without a major change at 74.8 miles on East Freeway. Expect the transition from highway to surface roads to occur after a significant portion of your trip is complete. The high percentage of highway driving suggests consistent cruising speeds for most of the route.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on East Freeway and I 70. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 230.7 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 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles (SR 4): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
948 ft
Total Descent
1,015 ft
Highest Point
1,294 ft
~181.2 mi in
Elevation Range
621 ft
Founded 1796
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 35m. Total distance: 230.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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