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Trip from McDonald, OH to Akron, OH

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

58m

Distance

47.2 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 54m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m

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

Downtown McDonald, OH, OH

McDonald, OH

Kenneth Surillo

Trip Overview

McDonald, OH to Akron, OH is 47.2 miles and takes about 58 minutes via I-76 and I-80, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within Ohio, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a quick trip, ideal for a single-day excursion, and primarily utilizes major highways. You'll find this route to be efficient for getting from point A to point B without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 76 36 mi 39m
I 80 6.4 mi 7m
Salt Springs Road 0.8 mi 1m
Ohio Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
East Mill Street 0.5 mi 1m
Owsley North Road 0.5 mi 1m
West Marshall Road 0.4 mi 1m
Fountain Street 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 76 — 36 mi, about 39m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between McDonald, OH and Akron, OH.

1

Start on Ohio Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Ohio Avenue
2

Turn right onto West Marshall Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · West Marshall Road
3

Turn left onto Owsley North Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Owsley North Road
4

Turn left onto Salt Springs Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Salt Springs Road
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
6

Merge onto I 80; SR 11

1.3 mi · 1 min · I 80; SR 11
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80

5.0 mi · 5 min · I 80
8

Continue on I 76

36 mi · 39 min · I 76
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 42 sec
Exit 23B Toward SR 8 North: Cuyahoga Falls Use the slight right lane.
10

Merge onto SR 8

0.4 mi · 30 sec · Akron Expressway
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 1A Toward Carroll Street, Buchtel Avenue Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn straight onto Fountain Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Fountain Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13

Continue on Fountain Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Fountain Street
14

Turn left onto SR 18

0.2 mi · 23 sec · East Market Street
15

Turn left onto South Forge Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · South Forge Street
16

Continue on East Mill Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Mill Street
17

Enter roundabout onto South Main Street

162 ft · 3 sec · South Main Street
18

Continue on South Main Street

0.1 mi · 21 sec · South Main Street
19

Turn right onto West Bowery Street

72 ft · 1 sec · West Bowery Street
20

Arrive at destination

West Bowery Street

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Ravenna, OH, OH

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ravenna, OH

24 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.

Popular next leg

Ravenna, OH to Akron, OH

20.3 mi · 28m

Pacing Suggestions

Austintown, OH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Charlestown, OH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.6 miles from McDonald, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 47.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
1 mi into trip | ~2m in | Owsley North Road

Turn left onto Owsley North Road

Navigation decision point

4
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | Salt Springs Road

Turn left onto Salt Springs Road

Navigation decision point

7
44.9 mi into trip | ~53m in

Take the exit toward SR 8 North: Cuyahoga Falls

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 23B Toward SR 8 North: Cuyahoga Falls
8
45.7 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward Carroll Street, Buchtel Avenue

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 1A Toward Carroll Street, Buchtel Avenue
5
47.1 mi into trip | ~58m in | South Main Street

Enter roundabout onto South Main Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.33 one way

$14.65 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.38 $8.13 $16.26
premium $4.91 $9.12 $18.24
diesel $5.61 $10.42 $20.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.61 $3.02

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 Apr 18, 2026

Origin

McDonald, OH

Morning in McDonald on Tuesday

Local time

6:39 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Akron, OH

Morning in Akron on Tuesday

Local time

6:39 AM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Partly Cloudy

S 12 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:34PM EDT until April 22 at 6:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:34PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

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

13 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

58m 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?

This is a highway-focused drive, with 90% of the route utilizing major interstates like I-76 and I-80. Expect mostly high-speed travel for the majority of the 47.2 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 36 miles on I-76. While the road remains largely consistent as a highway, there are brief sections on local roads like Salt Springs Road, offering a slight change of pace before rejoining the faster routes. It’s a practical drive built for efficiency.

90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 36 mi on I 76.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 76 and I 80. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near Owsley North Road.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 47.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (Owsley North Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (Salt Springs Road): Navigation decision point; at 44.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Akron, OH

Full guide →

Akron is a city of almost 200,000 people (2019) in the Northeast Ohio region in Summit County. Akron is proud of its heritage as a center of industry, and now offers visitors a wide range of recreational and cultural attractions, food experiences, and shopping.

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 58m. Total distance: 47.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

58m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 36 miles on I 76. 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 Akron, 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 1 miles (Owsley North Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (Salt Springs Road): Navigation decision point; at 44.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Akron, 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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