Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
34 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakewood, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Fairlawn, OH
NIKOLAI FOMIN
The drive from Lakewood, OH to Fairlawn, OH covers 34 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Willow Freeway, Northwest Freeway, Ghent Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.8 miles on Willow Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.22 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Willow Freeway | 22.8 mi | 27m |
| Northwest Freeway | 4.8 mi | 6m |
| Ghent Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Troy Lee James Highway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Warren Road | 1 mi | 3m |
| West Market Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Marginal Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 56 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,941 veh/hr typical · worst 3,536
Quietest
2 AM
~115 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
25.6×
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 Lakewood, OH and Fairlawn, OH.
Start on Franklin Boulevard
Turn left onto Warren Road
Turn left onto South Marginal Drive
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 90
Keep slight left at fork onto I 490
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 77
Take the exit
Turn right onto CH 98
Turn left onto SR 18
Turn right onto South Miller Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Lakewood, 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 6.2 and 34 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto I 490 / Troy Lee James Highway toward To I 77
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 77: Downtown, Akron
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 77 South: Akron
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Ghent Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto South Miller Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.22 one way
$10.44 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
| premium | $4.98 | $6.67 | $13.34 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.49 | $14.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Late night in Lakewood on Friday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Fairlawn on Friday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Partly Sunny
64°F
Parma, OH
17 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.
34 mi in 46m, mostly highway — 22.8 mi of that is on Willow Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Willow Freeway and Northwest Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.2 miles in near I 490 / Troy Lee James Highway.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.2 miles (I 490 / Troy Lee James Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
751 ft
Total Descent
445 ft
Highest Point
1,166 ft
~29.1 mi in
Elevation Range
533 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lakewood, OH and Fairlawn, OH, road signs point toward To I 77 and Akron.
To I 77
Akron
Founded 1889
Lakewood is a city next to Cleveland, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Founded 1960
Fairlawn, a suburb of Akron, is in Summit County, Northeast Ohio.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). 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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