This 137.4-mile drive from Wintersville, OH to Columbus, OH is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 44 minutes. The route predominantly utilizes I-70, making for a straightforward journey through the Midwest. With an estimated fuel cost of $21, it's an economical option for a quick getaway or a visit to the state capital. The drive is relatively short, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and pacing.
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
68.7 miles from Wintersville, OH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 26m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 70
74.7 mi
1h 22m
Cadiz Road
23.3 mi
27m
Cadiz-Piedmont Road
16.8 mi
22m
Cadiz-Steubenville Road
8.4 mi
10m
US 22
7.3 mi
7m
John Glenn Highway
1.8 mi
2m
Highland Avenue
1.2 mi
1m
Wheeling Avenue
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 74.7 mi, about 1h 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wintersville, OH and Columbus, OH.
1
Start on SR 43
39 ft·3 sec·Main Street
2
Continue on Cadiz Road
1.7 mi·3 min·Cadiz Road
3
Continue on Old US 22
0.5 mi·56 sec·Old US 22
4
Take the ramp
0.5 mi·58 sec
5
Merge onto US 22
7.3 mi·7 min·US 22
6
Continue on US 22
8.4 mi·10 min·Cadiz-Steubenville Road
7
Continue on US 22
17 mi·22 min·Cadiz-Piedmont Road
8
Continue on US 22; SR 800
22 mi·24 min·Cadiz Road
9
Continue on US 22
1.2 mi·1 min·Highland Avenue
10
Turn slight right onto US 22; US 40
0.6 mi·1 min·Wheeling Avenue
11
Turn slight left onto US 22; US 40
0.3 mi·26 sec·Dewey Avenue
12
Turn right onto US 22; US 40
1.8 mi·2 min·John Glenn Highway
13
Turn left onto SR 723
0.3 mi·25 sec·SR 723
14
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·53 sec
15
Merge onto I 70
75 mi·1 hr 22 min·I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi·25 sec
Exit 101BToward DowntownUse the slight right lane.
17
Continue on East Mound Street
0.3 mi·56 sec·East Mound Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto South Grant Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·South Grant Avenue
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto East State Street
0.4 mi·1 min·East State Street
Use the straight lane.
20
Turn right
88 ft·6 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the 2-hour and 44-minute duration, this trip is ideal for a single day. Consider leaving in the morning to maximize your time in Columbus. You'll have one recommended stop, but with the drive being under three hours, you can be quite flexible. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially during the 74.7-mile stretch on I-70, and take advantage of the ample services available along the interstate.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.7 miles from Wintersville, OH, or about 1h 26m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 74.7 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 30 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 68.7 miles or 1h 26m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 14m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Columbus, OH than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Wintersville, 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 Wintersville, OH
This is one driving day of about 137.4 miles and 2h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Wintersville, 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 70 for about 74.7 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 137 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
2.7 mi into trip|~5m in|US 22
Merge onto US 22
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
61.4 mi into trip|~1h 18m in|I 70
Merge onto I 70
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
136.1 mi into trip|~2h 40m in
Take the exit toward Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 101B
Toward Downtown
6
136.7 mi into trip|~2h 41m in|South Grant Avenue
Turn right onto South Grant Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
137 mi into trip|~2h 43m in|East State Street
Turn left onto East State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.32 one way
$42.65 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg48 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.38
$23.67
$47.33
premium
$4.91
$26.55
$53.11
diesel
$5.61
$30.34
$60.67
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 48.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
41.2
0
$14.43
$6.60
Efficient EV
34.4
0
$12.02
$5.50
EV Truck/SUV
55
0
$19.24
$8.79
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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 Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Wintersville, OH
Late night
in Wintersville on Sunday
Local time
5:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Columbus, OH
Late night
in Columbus on Sunday
Local time
5:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Cambridge, OH
69 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
10 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
2h 44m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll experience a mixed drive on this route, with about 60% of it being highway. The majority of your time will be spent on I-70, which offers a consistent pace. However, the journey begins and ends on local roads like Cadiz Road and Cadiz-Piedmont Road, providing a change of pace before you merge onto the interstate. The longest stretch without a planned stop is 74.7 miles on I-70, so plan your fuel and breaks accordingly.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 74.7 mi on I 70.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in near US 22.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 44m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (US 22): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 61.4 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 136.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
The longest stretch is about 74.7 miles on I 70. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (US 22): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 61.4 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 136.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Columbus, OH before heading back.
