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Trip from Lorain, OH to Polk, OH

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

59m

Distance

36.5 mi

59 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 56m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Lorain, OH, OH

Lorain, OH

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Polk, OH, OH

Polk, OH

MART PRODUCTION

Trip Overview

The drive from Lorain, OH to Polk, OH covers 36.5 miles and takes about 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Ashland-Oberlin Road, North Leavitt Road, North Ashland-Oberlin Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.9 miles on South Ashland-Oberlin Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.61 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Ashland-Oberlin Road 10.9 mi 14m
North Leavitt Road 10.5 mi 18m
North Ashland-Oberlin Road 6 mi 10m
North Main Street 4.5 mi 7m
SR 89 3.4 mi 4m
West 21st Street 1 mi 2m
Hamilton Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
West Congress Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: South Ashland-Oberlin Road — 10.9 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lorain, OH and Polk, OH.

1

Start on Hamilton Avenue

0.1 mi · 33 sec · Hamilton Avenue
2

Turn right onto SR 611

1.0 mi · 2 min · West 21st Street
3

Turn left onto SR 58

10 mi · 18 min · North Leavitt Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Continue on SR 58

1.7 mi · 3 min · North Main Street
5

Continue on SR 58

6.0 mi · 10 min · North Ashland-Oberlin Road
6

Continue on SR 58

0.5 mi · 48 sec · North Main Street
7

Continue on SR 58

0.1 mi · 13 sec · South Ashland-Oberlin Road
8

Continue on SR 58

2.3 mi · 3 min · North Main Street
9

Continue on SR 58

11 mi · 14 min · South Ashland-Oberlin Road
10

Turn slight left onto SR 89

3.4 mi · 4 min · SR 89
11

Turn right onto West Congress Street

201 ft · 8 sec · West Congress Street
12

Arrive at destination

West Congress Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Huntington, OH, OH

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Huntington, OH

18 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

West Salem, OH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Huntington, OH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.2 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

3 of 3

3 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 36.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | SR 611 / West 21st Street

Turn right onto SR 611 / West 21st Street

Navigation decision point

5
1.2 mi into trip | ~2m in | SR 58 / North Leavitt Road

Turn left onto SR 58 / North Leavitt Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
4
36.4 mi into trip | ~59m in | West Congress Street

Turn right onto West Congress Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.61 one way

$11.21 round trip

$3.90/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $6.32 $12.65
premium $4.98 $7.16 $14.32
diesel $5.60 $8.05 $16.09

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11 0 $3.83 $1.75
Efficient EV 9.1 0 $3.19 $1.46
EV Truck/SUV 14.6 0 $5.11 $2.34

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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.

Forecast as of Sep 1, 2026

Origin

Lorain, OH

Afternoon in Lorain on Sunday

Local time

2:17 PM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 9 mph 25% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 7:23PM EDT until September 2 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 1:24PM EDT until September 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Destination

Polk, OH

Afternoon in Polk on Sunday

Local time

2:17 PM

EDT

Current temp

72°F

Mostly Cloudy

SW 6 to 9 mph 10% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 7:23PM EDT until September 2 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued August 31 at 1:24PM EDT until September 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

61°F

Huntington, OH

18 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

2 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

59m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

36.5 mi in 59m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on South Ashland-Oberlin Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near SR 611 / West 21st Street.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Lorain, OH to Polk, OH is easy. At 59m with 9% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (SR 611 / West 21st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (SR 58 / North Leavitt Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 36.4 miles (West Congress Street): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,265 ft 608 ft

Total Climb

675 ft

Total Descent

18 ft

Highest Point

1,265 ft

~36.5 mi in

Elevation Range

657 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Lorain, OH

Full guide →

Founded 1807

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.

Top landmarks

  • • Lorain West Breakwater Light — lighthouse in Ohio, United States
  • • Lorain Palace Theatre — theater and former movie theater in Lorain, Ohio, United States

Arriving in Polk, OH

Full guide →

Founded 1849

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 59m. Total distance: 36.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (9%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on South Ashland-Oberlin Road. 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 (SR 611 / West 21st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (SR 58 / North Leavitt Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 36.4 miles (West Congress Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Polk, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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