Origin
Lorain, OH
Morning in Lorain on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lorain, OH to Kirtland, OH
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
51.1 mi
82 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lorain, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Kirtland, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lorain, OH to Kirtland, OH is 51.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes via Northwest Freeway and I-90, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest region, primarily traversing Ohio. Expect a focused highway experience, making it a straightforward and efficient trip. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and ample opportunity to reach your destination without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Freeway | 18.4 mi | 22m |
| I 90 | 9 mi | 11m |
| Lakeland Freeway | 8.8 mi | 10m |
| Colorado Avenue | 5.7 mi | 10m |
| Euclid Spur | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Cleveland Memorial Shoreway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Henderson Drive | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West 21st Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Northwest Freeway
— 18.4 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lorain, OH and Kirtland, OH.
1
Start on Hamilton Avenue
0.1 mi
·
37 sec
·
Hamilton Avenue
2
Turn left onto SR 611
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 21st Street
3
Continue on SR 611
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Henderson Drive
4
Turn right onto SR 611
5.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Colorado Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 90 East, SR 2 East: Cleveland
6
Merge onto I 90; SR 2
18 mi
·
22 min
·
Northwest Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 90
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 90; SR 2
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
9
Continue on I 90; SR 2
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Lakeland Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Euclid Spur
Toward I 90 East, I 271 South: Erie PA
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on I 271
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
I 90
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 193
Toward SR 306: Mentor, Kirtland
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto SR 306
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Broadmoor Road
14
Continue on SR 306
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Kirtland Road
Use the straight lane.
15
Continue on SR 306
448 ft
·
10 sec
·
Chillicothe Road
16
Arrive at destination
SR 306
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.5 miles from Lorain, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 7.8 and 49.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
7.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the ramp toward I 90 East, SR 2 East: Cleveland
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 East, SR 2 East: Cleveland
5
8.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 90; SR 2 / Northwest Freeway
Merge onto I 90; SR 2 / Northwest Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
26.5 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
I 90
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
8
41.5 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
I 90 / Euclid Spur
Keep slight right at fork onto I 90 / Euclid Spur toward I 90 East, I 271 South: Erie PA
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 90 East, I 271 South: Erie PA
8
49.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Take the exit toward SR 306: Mentor, Kirtland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 193
Toward SR 306: Mentor, Kirtland
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.93 one way
$15.86 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.38 | $8.80 | $17.60 |
| premium | $4.91 | $9.88 | $19.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.28 | $22.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.37 | $2.45 |
| Efficient EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.15 | $3.27 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Kirtland, OH
Morning in Kirtland on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
1 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 10m 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?
This route is heavily focused on highway driving, with 71% of it utilizing major freeways like the Northwest Freeway and I-90. You'll experience a significant stretch of uninterrupted driving, with the longest continuous segment covering 18.4 miles on the Northwest Freeway. The character of the drive is predominantly fast-paced, characteristic of interstate travel, designed for efficient transit between points. As you progress, the landscape will transition from the initial urban periphery of Lorain to the more suburban and developed areas approaching Kirtland, all while maintaining a consistent highway profile.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.4 mi on Northwest Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Northwest Freeway and I 90. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.1 miles you will encounter 9 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 7.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles (I 90; SR 2 / Northwest Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 26.5 miles (I 90): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Lorain, OH
Full guide →Lorain is a city of 64,000 people (2019) 30 miles west of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. A former industrial center for shipbuilding, auto manufacturing, and steel, like other Rust Belt cities, the city faces population decline and urban decay.
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 10m. Total distance: 51.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.4 miles on Northwest Freeway. 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 Kirtland, 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 7.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles (I 90; SR 2 / Northwest Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 26.5 miles (I 90): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Cuyahoga Valley National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kirtland, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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