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Trip from Springfield, OH to Columbus, OH

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Nov 13, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

55m

Distance

45.7 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 51m ★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m

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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county seat of Clark County, Ohio, United States

Springfield, OH

Wikimedia Commons

capital city of Ohio, United States of America

Columbus, OH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short, 45.6-mile journey from Springfield, OH, to Columbus, OH, is easily manageable in about 48 minutes, making it perfect for a single-day trip. You'll navigate primarily via East Columbia Street and then hop onto I-70 East and I-670 East. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $7, this drive is quite budget-friendly. The route is characterized as 'turn-heavy local drive,' suggesting a less highway-centric experience and more interaction with local roads. Given its brevity and region (both within the Midwest and Ohio), no overnight stops are necessary.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 70 33.7 mi 36m
US 40 6.2 mi 9m
I 670 3.6 mi 4m
North Third Street 0.9 mi 2m
East Columbia Street 0.4 mi <1m
South Limestone Street 0.1 mi <1m
East State Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 70 — 33.7 mi, about 36m

Traffic on I-70

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 38 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~3,883 veh/hr typical · worst 4,605

Quietest

2 AM

~403 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

9.6×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 104 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 Springfield, OH and Columbus, OH.

1

Start on South Limestone Street

0.1 mi · 17 sec · South Limestone Street
2

Turn right onto US 40; SR 4; SR 41

0.4 mi · 34 sec · East Columbia Street
3

Turn slight left onto US 40; SR 41

6.2 mi · 9 min · US 40; SR 41
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 70 East: Columbus
5

Merge onto I 70

34 mi · 36 min · I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto I 670

3.6 mi · 4 min · I 670
Toward I 670 East: Airport Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Exit 4A–B Toward US 23: Third Street, Fourth Street Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Exit 4A Toward US 23 South: Third Street
9

Turn straight onto US 23

0.9 mi · 2 min · North Third Street
Use the straight lane.
10

Turn right onto East State Street

106 ft · 3 sec · East State Street
Use the right lane.
11

Turn right

88 ft · 6 sec
12

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Downtown South Vienna, OH, OH

Mid-route town

Meal stop

South Vienna, OH

23 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

South Vienna, OH

Fuel and coffee

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

London, OH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.8 miles from Springfield, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 7.1 and 45.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
7.1 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 70

Merge onto I 70

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
40.8 mi into trip | ~47m in | I 670

Keep slight left at fork onto I 670 toward I 670 East: Airport

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 670 East: Airport
8
44.4 mi into trip | ~52m in

Take the exit toward US 23: Third Street, Fourth 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 4A–B Toward US 23: Third Street, Fourth Street
7
44.6 mi into trip | ~52m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 23 South: Third Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 4A Toward US 23 South: Third Street
6
45.6 mi into trip | ~55m in | East State Street

Turn right onto East State Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.96 one way

$13.93 round trip

$3.87/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.35 $7.83 $15.67
premium $4.94 $8.89 $17.78
diesel $6.13 $11.02 $22.05

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-11-09.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.7 0 $4.80 $2.19
Efficient EV 11.4 0 $4.00 $1.83
EV Truck/SUV 18.3 0 $6.40 $2.92

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 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 Aug 19, 2026

Origin

Springfield, OH

Afternoon in Springfield on Friday

Local time

3:34 PM

EST

Current temp

78°F

Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

W 7 mph 46% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 19 at 12:40PM EDT until August 20 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 19 at 12:36PM EDT until August 20 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Pittsburgh PA

Destination

Columbus, OH

Afternoon in Columbus on Friday

Local time

3:34 PM

EST

Current temp

80°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 6 mph 31% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 19 at 12:40PM EDT until August 20 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued August 19 at 12:36PM EDT until August 20 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Pittsburgh PA

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 warmer at arrival

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

Road read

55m 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?

Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 45.6-mile segment. While the main roads include interstate sections like I-70 East and I-670 East, the overall profile indicates a significant portion will involve navigating local streets and making frequent turns, rather than long stretches of uninterrupted highway driving. The highway share is 0%, meaning you won't be cruising on interstates for extended periods. This characteristic suggests a drive with a more varied pace, where you'll be more engaged with the immediate surroundings as you transition through different areas.

95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.7 mi on I 70.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and US 40. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 7.1 miles in near I 70.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 45.7 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 7.1 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.8 miles (I 670): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,199 ft 709 ft

Total Climb

332 ft

Total Descent

538 ft

Highest Point

1,199 ft

~13.1 mi in

Elevation Range

490 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Springfield, OH

Full guide →

Founded 1801

Springfield is a city in Clark County, Ohio.

Top landmarks

  • • Madonna of the Trail — series of 12 monuments dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women in the United St...
  • • Westcott House — historic house in Ohio, United States
  • • Arcade Hotel — listed on the NRHP

Arriving in Columbus, OH

Full guide →

Founded 1812

Columbus is the capital of the American state of Ohio and is located centrally within the state as the core of the Greater Columbus area. Sited in an area where the Rust Belt, Bible Belt, Appalachia, and the Farm Belt meet, Columbus is a fusion of many different parts of America. It is the home of the Ohio State University. The combination of Ohio Government and the Ohio State University has fueled amazing growth both financially and physically in Columbus. It has created a business and research environment that has provided substantial employment opportunities to the diverse ethnic and local graduates of the Ohio State University, and other academic institutions in Columbus. The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), is projected to be one of the top 50 supercomputers in the world and among the top 10 supercomputing academic centers.

Top landmarks

  • • Ohio Stadium — stadium in Columbus, Ohio, USA
  • • Columbus Museum of Art — Museum in Columbus, Ohio, United States
  • • Wexner Center for the Arts — center at Ohio State University

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 55m. Total distance: 45.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

55m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 33.7 miles on I 70. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 8 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 Columbus, 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 7.1 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.8 miles (I 670): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical 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 Columbus, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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