For the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I will be driving from Troy, Michigan to Columbus, Ohio. I’ve never been to Ohio, and when I put in the request for driving directions at Mapquest and GoogleMaps, each website gave me a completely different route.
Examining the maps on my own, I’m thinking the route I could take would be to drive on I-75 south down to Highway 33, then take Highway 33 east into Columbus.
Are there any Ohio Dopers who are savvy about the roads in the area that could give me a recommended driving route that could be better than the one I’ve picked?
I’m not from Ohio, but I remember driving from the Detroit area to Columbus about 1.5 years ago. The route I took was I-75 S to Findlay, head east on route 15 (just south of Findlay) which connects to US 23 south to Columbus.
Looking at a map, this is considerably shorter (distance wise) than your route (taking I-75 all the way down to 33 seems excessive to me). It might be balanced out by better traffic flow, I don’t know, but I don’t remember routes 15 and 23 as being particularly slow or anything (though it has been a year and a half since I took the trip).
I’ve done something similar this lots of times (from Flint to Columbus, actually), and the signs on 23 are really confusing. Just watch very carefully and make sure you know exactly where you’re going. Get a good map, and good luck!
I believe 15 to 23 is the standard route. I think the only thing that would slow you down on this route is if you arrive in the northern Columbus 'burbs at the wrong time of day. 23 is a fine road overall, but the last three or four-mile stretch before I-270 is my sworn enemy, as it grows ever more excruciating to drive through (not that I’m even in the area anymore). However, I assume you’re not arriving on a workday morning, so that should be no problem.
Small hijack, but not really: this general route (from Michigan on through Columbus) is that of the proposed I-73, which would end up in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach is really anxious to get a pipeline of Michiganders and Ohioans flowing down there to spend money, but Michigan and Ohio at the moment have zero interest in pursuing this highway. Such is my understanding, anyway. I’m not sure if sections are being built or planned in South Carolina or elsewhere along the route.
I used to drive through Columbus to South Bend all the time, and I liked to vary my route. The fastest, by far, was the 75-15-23 route.
Last time I took it, I thought the signs were better than they had been.
Depending on when you hit town (and where you’re going), you might want to take the little bypass that hooks up 23 and 71 (I think it’s 36). Otherwise, you’ll drive through Delaware and that can be a pain.
As well as the 75-15-23 route mentioned, I’ve also taken route 68 from Findlay to Kenton (you get onto it from route 15 south of Findlay), then route 31 from Kenton to Marysville, and route 33 from there to Columbus. It’s a bit more direct, but slower, because you drive through some towns and villages. It’s also a little confusing driving through Kenton, because the roads in and out are separated by an east-west block in Kenton: you need to turn left in the middle of Kenton, the turn right again at the next corner (and you have a choice of many places where you can do this). This is not well signposted in Kenton.
I take this route because I live close to US 33 in Columbus, so US 23 is a bit out of the way for me, but it still would be too bad if you were going in to downtown Columbus.
Either the I-75 - 33 route or the 23 will work fine. There isn’t much to see senic-wise in the Western half of OH, if that’s a factor. Do be wary of the Ohio Highway Patrol! They are notorious, and since they are not state police they really do have nothing better to do than catch you speeding! The closer you get to Columbus, the more of them you need watch for.
