Image courtesy of Tour Scanner. 

Looking to take a day and explore some of Ohio? A road trip from Dayton to Columbus is a fantastic way to do that! It takes around an hour to travel from one city to the next, and many of the highway’s exits lead to lesser-known but amazing stops where you can explore a town or a park for the first time. Read on for our thoughts on how to make an unforgettable road trip from Dayton to Columbus! 

Dayton

Dayton is one of the largest cities in Ohio located on the South-Western edge of the state. Home to around 140,000 residents, there is a lot to do within and around city limits. Before we get to the delights on the road to Columbus, here are a few activities to bring some new excitement to your time in Dayton. 

Activities Around the City

Dayton has a wide array of dining and entertainment throughout the city that you may have not yet checked out. Here are a few of our favorites! 

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Third Perk Coffeehouse and Wine Bar

Coffee and wine? Yes, please. Third Perk is an excellent cafe with delicious coffee drinks in the morning and a surprisingly wide selection of wines in the evening. This is a great place to stop in the morning or after work for a drink or two, and it can easily become a part of your weekly routine. 

Latin Arepas

This cute Latin restaurant advertises all you need to know in its name — they make arepas, and they make them with great skill. Their restaurant is always serving delicious and affordable meals, and a good arepa-based menu is hard to find in Dayton. 

Old Scratch Pizza and Bar

This pizzeria makes delectable artisanal pizzas that are in a league of their own. Don’t get us wrong, pizzeria pizzas are amazing, but these are exciting and unique, bringing delicious combinations of flavor on a thin crust that gives you a combo of flavors in every bite. Did we mention that they also serve a wide selection of craft beers? You’d better believe they do! This is a spectacular destination for a night out with friends, family, or a date!

Schuster Center

The Schuster Center serves as Dayton’s primary place for the fine arts. They run a wide variety of shows and performances throughout the year and visiting here is a fantastic way to experience the arts!  

Dayton’s Many Museums

There are over a dozen museums in Dayton, from art museums to the Mound Science and Energy Museum. They cover a wide variety of topics, and swinging by a museum (or three!) is a great way to spend a free weekend day. 

The food, the museums, and the performance center are but a few of the cards Dayton has laid onto the table for possible excursions into the city’s culture. There is a lot to do on weekends that you aren’t planning a trip to the state’s capital. But, for those weekends where you are, we present great activities on the road from Dayton to Columbus. 

Road Trip Stops

There are a few ways to travel from Dayton to Columbus. You can take a bus, which is about a three-hour ride, or a train, which is a similar trip, or make it an old-school road trip and load up your car. If you’re planning a drive from Dayton to Columbus, which takes about an hour, here are a few possible stops on your way there.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House

The Westcott House is an amazing architectural feat located right on the way to Columbus! On a road trip, we call this stop an absolute must. It doesn’t add a lot of time to your trip, and it is a spectacular sight. The building was actually renovated in the early 1940s and turned into a multi-unit apartment building — something that Wright did not anticipate! Since then, various groups have worked hard to preserve it and return it to the architectural wonder that it once was. 

Take a Detour into a Nature Preserve

There are a lot of nature preserves on the route from Dayton to Columbus. These are great item to build into your trip, adding a hike or just a scenic outlook as a destination. Hikes are a great way to see the sights and check out a part of the state that you may never have seen, and, unless you have another hike planned in Columbus, they add some diversity to your trip. We recommend adding these on the return journey, however, especially during the Summer!

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve

This nature preserve is in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and will add about 20 minutes to your overall drive time. It is worth it! This is a beautiful nature preserve with a lot of walkable trails and just gorgeous scenery. The trails are well-kept, meaning you won’t have to struggle through any overgrown brush! It winds through groves of trees, through cliffs, and, if you’re lucky, you might find one of the park’s waterfalls. 

Little Darby State Scenic Nature Preserve

Closer to Columbus, this nature preserve is another great stop if you are of a mind to check out some of Ohio’s beautiful flora and fauna. Located on a river, every bit of this preserve is filled with amazing sights and sounds, and it is an excellent stop on your road trip to or from Columbus.

Yellow Springs Village

Located close to Clifton Gorge, the Village of Yellow Springs is a small and beautiful place filled with boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants. It has cobblestone streets, and tons of local businesses, and is an amazing place to stop and check out on your road trip. We recommend trying out some coffee there on your trip — it is spectacular!

Columbus

Ah, your illustrious destination. Ohio’s capital has a ton of places to visit and experience on your road trip. Home to almost 900,000 residents, this sprawling city is full of unique experiences, and lots of them, ensuring that there is something that sparks your interest. The suburbs of Columbus are also home to a wide variety of attractions, and between those two areas, there are enough new and exciting activities for dozens of trips to Columbus! Here are a few of our favorites. 

The Guild House

As your day winds to its end and hunger grows in your stomach, there is no better place to go than the Guild House. This is a small and phenomenal eatery located in Short North, one of the city's best shopping districts. It is an expensive option for dinner, but if you are looking to splurge — this is the place to go! A lot of the restaurants in the city get pretty busy, so we recommend making a reservation ahead of time regardless of where you decide to eat. 

Fox in the Snow Cafe

This cafe, located in German Village (an amazing destination in its own right) serves up amazing coffee and is a great location to settle down, relax, and plan out the rest of your day. German Village is similar to Yellow Springs Village in that it is small, historic, and beautiful, with a variety of cafes, restaurants, and boutique stores. Walking the streets of German Village is a lovely activity in Columbus, and, if you’re there, make sure to stop at Fox in the Snow Cafe! 

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

For animal lovers everywhere, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a spectacular main event on your road trip. The zoo is impressive and full of amazing habitats with animals that you might never have seen in real life. The aquarium is equally awesome, with plenty of places to explore, and all in air conditioning! This is a great place to center your day around, perhaps after some light shopping and before a delectable dinner. 

What are Your Road Trip Plans? 

We’ve only scratched the surface of all you can do on your way from Dayton to Columbus, but we hope that we’ve inspired you to try out a road trip of your own! Where do you want to visit on your road trip? Let us know in the comments!