Origin
Middletown, OH
Morning in Middletown on Tuesday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Middletown, OH to Dayton, 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
34m
Distance
25.1 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Middletown, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Dayton, OH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion through the Ohio Midwest, the 23.3-mile trip from Middletown to Dayton is a straightforward journey. You can expect to spend about 34 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Since the route consists entirely of local roads without any highway segments, your travel time will depend heavily on local traffic patterns. Budgeting roughly $3 for fuel should be more than sufficient for this short distance. Because there are no required stops along the way, you have total flexibility to complete the drive in one efficient push.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 75 | 16.2 mi | 18m |
| North Verity Parkway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| East 6th Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Middletown Pike | 1 mi | 1m |
| Riley Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West 1st Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Clinton Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Ludlow Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 75
— 16.2 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Middletown, OH and Dayton, OH.
1
Start on Clark Street
122 ft
·
7 sec
·
Clark Street
2
Turn right onto Central Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Central Avenue
3
Turn right onto SR 4; SR 73
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Clinton Street
4
Continue on SR 4; SR 73
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
North Verity Parkway
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on SR 73
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Middletown Pike
6
Turn straight onto SR 73 Truck
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Riley Boulevard
7
Turn right onto SR 123
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East 6th Street
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 75 North: Dayton
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto I 75
16 mi
·
18 min
·
I 75
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 53
Toward Second Street, Salem Avenue, 1st Street
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto West 1st Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
West 1st Street
12
Turn right onto SR 48
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
North Ludlow Street
13
Turn left onto West 3rd Street
514 ft
·
12 sec
·
West 3rd Street
14
Turn right onto South Main Street
221 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Main Street
15
Arrive at destination
South Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 24.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SR 4; SR 73 / North Clinton Street
Turn right onto SR 4; SR 73 / North Clinton Street
Navigation decision point
5
6.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
SR 123 / East 6th Street
Turn right onto SR 123 / East 6th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
7.7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Turn left toward I 75 North: Dayton
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 75 North: Dayton
5
7.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 75
Merge onto I 75
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
24.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Second Street, Salem Avenue, 1st Street
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 53
Toward Second Street, Salem Avenue, 1st Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.90 one way
$7.79 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.38 | $4.32 | $8.65 |
| premium | $4.91 | $4.85 | $9.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.54 | $11.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.61 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Dayton, OH
Morning in Dayton on Tuesday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
22 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
34m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps your focus on the road rather than a monotonous interstate grind. You will navigate through city streets using Central Avenue, North Clinton Street, and North Verity Parkway as your primary thoroughfares. Because this route features a 0% highway share, you should prepare for frequent stops and varying speed limits typical of urban and suburban driving. There are no long, uninterrupted stretches to speak of, so the pace remains consistent but active. This path prioritizes local connectivity over high-speed travel, offering a practical way to transition between these two Midwestern cities.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.2 mi on I 75.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and North Verity Parkway. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near SR 4; SR 73 / North Clinton Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 25.1 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.2 miles (SR 4; SR 73 / North Clinton Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.4 miles (SR 123 / East 6th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Middletown, OH
Full guide →Middletown is a city of 51,000 people (2020) in Ohio, north of Cincinnati and a short drive south of Dayton.
Arriving in Dayton, OH
Full guide →Founded 1796
Top landmarks
- • National Museum of the United States Air Force — aerospace museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, United States
- • Wright Flyer III — third powered aircraft built by the Wright brothers
- • Dayton Art Institute — art museum and school in Dayton, Ohio
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 34m. Total distance: 25.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.2 miles on I 75. 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 0.2 miles (SR 4; SR 73 / North Clinton Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.4 miles (SR 123 / East 6th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dayton, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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