Parma to Clayton is 207.4 miles and takes about 3h 58m via I 71 and West Freeway, with a fuel budget near $33 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Ohio, connecting two points in the Midwest region. Given its mostly highway profile and short duration, it's a straightforward trip for a single day. You'll spend the vast majority of your time on interstates, making for efficient travel. This trip is ideal if you're looking for a quick connection between these two Ohio locations with minimal fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
103.7 miles from Parma, OH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 1m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 71
110.2 mi
1h 59m
West Freeway
71.2 mi
1h 18m
Ridge Road
14.8 mi
24m
I 670
4.5 mi
5m
I 271
3.5 mi
4m
Snow Road
0.6 mi
1m
SR 49
0.5 mi
1m
West Salem Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 71
— 110.2 mi, about 1h 59m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 86 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,219 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,827
Quietest
2 AM
~350 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Parma, OH and Clayton, OH.
1
Start on West 54th Street
47 ft·8 sec·West 54th Street
2
Turn left onto Snow Road
0.6 mi·1 min·Snow Road
3
Turn left onto SR 3
15 mi·24 min·Ridge Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward I 271 South: Wadsworth
5
Merge onto I 271
3.5 mi·4 min·I 271
6
Merge onto I 71
110 mi·1 hr 59 min·I 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·41 sec
Exit 109AToward I 670 East, I 670 West: Airport, DaytonUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward I 670 West: DaytonUse the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 670
0.2 mi·19 sec·Northeast Freeway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 670
4.5 mi·5 min·I 670
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 70
71 mi·1 hr 18 min·West Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto SR 49
0.3 mi·43 sec·SR 49
Exit 24Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, GreenvilleUse the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 49
0.2 mi·17 sec·SR 49
Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
14
Turn right
327 ft·9 sec
15
Continue on Brookville Salem Road
0.3 mi·47 sec·Brookville Salem Road
16
Continue on West Salem Street
0.4 mi·1 min·West Salem Street
17
Turn left onto Talmadge Road
0.1 mi·17 sec·Talmadge Road
18
Arrive at destination
Talmadge Road
Trip Plan
For this 207.4-mile drive, leaving Parma in the morning is recommended to maximize daylight and take advantage of lower traffic volumes. With a duration of under 4 hours, you can easily complete this trip in a single day, allowing for flexibility in your departure time. The $33 fuel cost estimate is helpful for budgeting, and there's only one planned stop, suggesting it's not necessary to break up the drive. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach the 110.2-mile mark on I 71, as services might be less frequent on this longer highway segment.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 103.7 miles from Parma, OH, or about 2h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 110.2 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 46 miles or 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.7 miles or 2h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Clayton, OH than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Parma, OH so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Parma, OH
This is one driving day of about 207.4 miles and 3h 58m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 miles from Parma, OH.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 71 for about 110.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 206 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|SR 3 / Ridge Road
Turn left onto SR 3 / Ridge Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
129.4 mi into trip|~2h 29m in
Take the exit toward I 670 East, I 670 West: Airport, Dayton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 109A
Toward I 670 East, I 670 West: Airport, Dayton
7
129.7 mi into trip|~2h 30m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 670 West: Dayton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 670 West: Dayton
6
130.2 mi into trip|~2h 31m in|I 670
Keep slight right at fork onto I 670
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
206 mi into trip|~3h 55m in|SR 49
Take the exit onto SR 49 toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
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 24
Toward SR 49 North: Phillipsburg, Greenville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.45 one way
$64.90 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg73 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.47
$36.53
$73.06
premium
$5.06
$41.28
$82.57
diesel
$6.18
$50.45
$100.91
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 72.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
62.2
0
$21.78
$9.96
Efficient EV
51.9
0
$18.15
$8.30
EV Truck/SUV
83
1
$29.04
$13.27
Gas CO2
73 kg
EV CO2
24 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.
Forecast as of Oct 18, 2026
Origin
Parma, OH
Late night
in Parma on Monday
Local time
4:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Areas Of Frost then Sunny
S 8 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Clayton, OH
Late night
in Clayton on Monday
Local time
4:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Areas Of Frost then Sunny
S 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
43°F
Ashley, OH
104 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
3h 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was established to honor the lives and achievements of poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar and aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Through p...
6 mi from route
~14 min detour
Free
near mile 193.1
Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discov...
Throughout his life, Charles Young overcame countless obstacles in his ascent to prominence. In spite of overt racism and stifling inequality, Young rose through the military ranks to become one of th...
12 mi from route
~30 min detour
Free
near mile 185.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is overwhelmingly on highways, with 92% of the route utilizing them. You'll encounter a long stretch of 110.2 miles on I 71 without needing to exit. The majority of the route is highway driving, meaning you'll experience consistent speeds and a steady flow of traffic. Expect frequent exits as you approach your destination in Clayton, as the highway segment concludes and you transition to surface roads like Ridge Road.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 110.2 mi on I 71.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 71 and West Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near SR 3 / Ridge Road.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 207.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (SR 3 / Ridge Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 129.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 129.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,266 ft718 ft
Total Climb
1,114 ft
Total Descent
976 ft
Highest Point
1,266 ft
~59.3 mi in
Elevation Range
548 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Parma, OH to Clayton, OH, road signs begin pointing toward Dayton along the way.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 58m. Total distance: 207.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 110.2 miles on I 71. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 29 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Clayton, OH before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 29 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (SR 3 / Ridge Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 129.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 129.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.0 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Clayton, OH, but most travelers stay overnight.
