Trip from Cleveland, OH to Akron, OH

Drive Time

50m

Distance

38.8 mi

63 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Cleveland, OH, OH

Cleveland, OH

Jay Brand

Trip Overview

The drive from Cleveland, OH to Akron, OH covers 38.8 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Willow Freeway, I 77, Innerbelt for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26 miles on Willow Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.80 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

19.4 miles from Cleveland, OH

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 25m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 50m highway drive covering 38.8 miles, with most of the trip on Willow Freeway and I 77. The longest continuous stretch is about 26 miles on Willow Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Willow Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 26 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

987 ft 654 ft

Total Climb

333 ft

Total Descent

0 ft

Highest Point

987 ft

~11.1 mi in

Elevation Range

333 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Willow Freeway and I 77. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 3rd Street.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 38.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 422; SR 8; SR 14; SR 43; SR 87 / Ontario Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (SR 10): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | West 3rd Street

Turn left onto West 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 422; SR 8; SR 14; SR 43; SR 87 / Ontario Street

Turn right onto US 422; SR 8; SR 14; SR 43; SR 87 / Ontario Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
1.7 mi into trip | ~4m in | SR 10

Take the ramp onto SR 10 toward I 77 South, I 490: Akron

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight lane. Toward I 77 South, I 490: Akron
6
27.9 mi into trip | ~36m in | I 77

Keep slight left at fork onto I 77

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / straight lanes.
8
36.3 mi into trip | ~46m in | SR 59 / Innerbelt

Keep slight right at fork onto SR 59 / Innerbelt toward SR 59 East: Downtown

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 21C Toward SR 59 East: Downtown

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Willow Freeway 26 mi 31m
I 77 8.4 mi 10m
Innerbelt 2.1 mi 2m
Ontario Street 0.8 mi 1m
Orange Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
West Bowery Street 0.2 mi <1m
SR 10 0.2 mi <1m
West Roadway <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Willow Freeway — 26 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cleveland, OH and Akron, OH.

1

Start on Frankfort Avenue

156 ft · 12 sec · Frankfort Avenue
2

Turn left onto West 3rd Street

339 ft · 16 sec · West 3rd Street
3

Turn left onto US 6; US 20; US 42; SR 3

315 ft · 14 sec · West Superior Avenue
4

Turn right onto US 6; US 20

503 ft · 23 sec · West Roadway
5

Turn right onto US 422; SR 8; SR 14; SR 43; SR 87

0.8 mi · 1 min · Ontario Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Continue on US 422; SR 8; SR 10; SR 14; SR 43; SR 87

0.7 mi · 1 min · Orange Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
7

Take the ramp onto SR 10

0.2 mi · 27 sec · SR 10
Toward I 77 South, I 490: Akron Use the straight lane.
8

Merge onto I 77; SR 10

26 mi · 31 min · Willow Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto I 77

8.4 mi · 10 min · I 77
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto SR 59

2.1 mi · 2 min · Innerbelt
Exit 21C Toward SR 59 East: Downtown Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on SR 59

406 ft · 13 sec · Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
12

Turn right onto West Center Street

459 ft · 19 sec · West Center Street
13

Turn left onto West Bowery Street

0.2 mi · 33 sec · West Bowery Street
14

Arrive at destination

West Bowery Street

Trip Plan

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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 19.4 miles from Cleveland, OH, or about 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 26 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 38.8 miles or 50m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 19.4 miles or 25m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 42m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Akron, OH than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, OH

This is one driving day of about 38.8 miles and 50m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Cleveland, OH.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Willow Freeway for about 26 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 19.4 mi from Cleveland, OH · 25m into the drive

Downtown Farrell, PA, PA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Farrell, PA

19 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

Farrell, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Farrell, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.4 miles from Cleveland, OH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Akron, OH

The final approach into Akron, OH usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Akron, OH.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.80 one way

$11.61 round trip

$3.80/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.24 $6.48 $12.96
premium $4.79 $7.32 $14.63
diesel $5.64 $8.62 $17.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$6

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$31–$56

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.6 0 $4.07 $1.86
Efficient EV 9.7 0 $3.39 $1.55
EV Truck/SUV 15.5 0 $5.43 $2.48

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Cleveland, OH

Late night in Cleveland on Monday

Local time

1:39 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Akron, OH

Late night in Akron on Monday

Local time

1:39 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

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

50m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Cleveland, OH to Akron, OH covers 38.8 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Willow Freeway, I 77, Innerbelt. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 19.4 miles from Cleveland, OH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.80 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 38.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 422; SR 8; SR 14; SR 43; SR 87 / Ontario Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (SR 10): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Cleveland, OH to Akron, OH does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 654 ft to 987 ft elevation with about 333 ft of total climbing.

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Return Trip

Akron, OH to Cleveland, OH

Plan the drive back the other way.

34.1 mi 50m

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