Our Favorite Cleveland, OH to Columbus, OH Road Trips

Time to grab friends and family for an adventure from Cleveland to Columbus!

Friends? Check. Road trip treats? Check. Have your fun music playlist created? Check and Check. Now that you have everything you need to enjoy your time on the road let your journey begin!

Do you have a long weekend coming up, or are you feeling adventurous and want to leave the house and explore around you? Well, folks, this is the place for you, especially if you are from Cleveland, Ohio, and are looking to go to Columbus, Ohio.

Before you pack up your family and gather your friends, you must make the first decision for this trip, which route you will take and where you may want to stop along the way?

Planning a Route to Take from Cleveland to Columbus

Decisions, decisions are important for any Ohio road trip

Looking at the map, you can see three possible routes that you can take to drive down to Columbus, Ohio, from Cleveland. Depending on the amount of time you have given yourself for the drive, and if you plan to stop and sightsee along the way, you can anticipate your trip taking anywhere from a little more than two hours to more than three or four. But, of course, this all depends on the stops you decide to take along the way.

The routes you can take are as follows….

Route 1(142 miles):

• Take the I-90 W from Ontario St 
• Then follow I-71 continuing to US-23 S/N 3rd St in Columbus
• Take exit 4B from I-670 W. Merge onto the US-23 S/N 3rd St and arrive

Route 2 (148miles):

• Take I-77 S from Ontario St and Orange Ave
• Stay on I-77 S. Take I-71 S to US-23 S/N 3rd St in Columbus
• When you spot exit 4B, take it from I-670 W
• Merge onto US-23 S/N 3rd St and arrive

Route 3 (143 miles):

• Start on I-90 from Ontario St
• Drive down I-71 S to i-480 W and onto OH-10 W to Carlisle Township
• Continue to OH-301 S/Lagrange Rd exiting to US-20 W
• Get on I-71 S in Congress Township from OH-301 S
• Follow I-71 S to US-23 S/N 3rd St in Columbus
• Take exit 4B
• And merge onto US-23 S/N 3rd St to exit and arrive in Columbus.

Although all three of these routes are similar in length, the different areas they pass through make them unique and worth traveling to along the way to Columbus, Ohio. A final thing to keep in mind as you pack your car for your road trip now that you know about the three different routes you can choose from is to pack up some drinks and road trip snacks. This will help limit the number of unnecessary stops as you go along the way.

Route #1: Cleveland to Columbus

With route number one, you and your family will have the opportunity to visit the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and Kringle's Inventionasium. Each of these sites brings fun features for everyone, regardless of age.

Greater Cleveland Aquarium

2000 Sycamore St.| Cleveland, OH 44113 |greaterclevelandaquarium.com/

If you like sea life and learning about the different sea creatures, not only in our local oceans but in the oceans around the world, then this is an excellent place for you to stop in Cleveland. This aquarium is full of interactive marine exhibits, including a touch pool where you are able to experience feeling the backs of sting rays as they swim by.

It is encouraged to use only two fingers to pet them and not grab at them, for they are still wild animals. You will also experience walking through the various exhibits that the aquarium offers, exploring a mock research vessel, and sharing what marine biologists do every day for a living. 

Kringle's Inventionasium

230 W Huron Rd#7294 | Cleveland OH 44113| mrkringle.com/kringles-inventionasium/plan/

Candy and gum drop, granting your wishes. Use your imagination to bring joy to the feeling of never growing up. Here at Kringle's Inventionasium, you can use your imagination to dream up any office decoration or even just a fun statue for your garden. As Peter Pan would tell Tinker Bell “all you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust.” Don’t be afraid to allow your inner child to shine.

Route #2: Cleveland to Columbus

If you decide to take this route, you will pass by the Bible Walk Museum and Alien Vacation Mini Golf Castle at Castle Noel. These two attractions allow you to take a step back and have some family fun at a 3D animated mini-golf course.

Bible Walk

500 Tingley Ave | Mansfield, OH 44905 | biblewalk.us/

If you are Christian or want to get more of a feel for what times were like back between 2000 - 4000 BC, then this attraction is for you It allows you and your family to see some of the most well-known stories from the Bible, such as scenes from the Old Testament and the Life of Christ displayed in life-size, and made to look very realistic.

Alien Vacation Mini Golf Attraction at Castle Noel

200 Court St | Medina, OH 44256| alienvacationminigolf.com/   

Do you and your friends and family enjoy having a little competition? If you are looking to get out of the car and stretch your legs a bit, this is an excellent place for you. Not only are you just a short way from Columbus, but you can use this stop to have some friendly mini-golf competition. So what is stopping you? For as little as $11.95, you and your group can make a pit stop and get your mini-golf on. Bonus: little ones three years old and younger get in for free.    

Route #3: Cleveland to Columbus

On this last route option, you can stop and visit two final destinations on your road trip to Columbus, Ohio, including touring the USS COD and taking pictures by the notorious Cleveland Script Sign.

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USS COD

1201 N Marginal Rd | Cleveland, OH 44114 | usscod.org/

Have you ever wanted to see how individuals in the Navy live? What are their living quarters like, how do they spend their days, and what do their everyday lives look like while stationed away at sea? Well, now you have the chance. If this is an activity that seems appealing to you, be sure to email codkeeper@yahoo.com for more information on dates and rates or call the Cod’s ticket office at 440-832-9722.  This isn’t just an opportunity to see how life in the navy is, but also to learn more about the submarine and show respect for the years it was used in service.

Cleveland Script Sign

1502 Abbey Ave | Cleveland, OH 44113

This is one of the six Cleveland Script signs posted throughout the city. As You are driving in or out of the area to Columbus, Ohio, you will pass by at least one of them. It is very common to see tourists or individuals stop to take pictures or pose near the sign. 

After reading through this, you may better know which route will best fit your road trip needs. What's even better is that having different options gives you the ability to travel and try different experiences as you travel through! Which route would you choose to get from Cleveland to Columbus? Let us know in the comments!

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