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Trip from Columbus, OH to Frankfort, OH

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 16m

Distance

51.7 mi

83 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 11m ★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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capital city of Ohio, United States of America

Columbus, OH

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Frankfort, OH, OH

Frankfort, OH

Valentin Angel Fernandez

Trip Overview

This 51.7-mile drive from Columbus to Frankfort, Ohio, is an easy one-day trip, taking about 1 hour and 16 minutes. Primarily utilizing local roads like Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road and Harrisburg Pike, with a portion on I-71, it offers a straightforward journey within the Midwest region. With a projected fuel cost of $8, this route is an economical option for a quick excursion. The drive is characterized by frequent turns, suggesting a more local and perhaps less direct path than a pure interstate cruise. It's perfectly suited for a spontaneous outing or a planned short getaway.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 51.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 51.7-mile journey, with only 29% of the route being highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.9 miles on Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road. This suggests a drive that winds through smaller communities and rural landscapes rather than a steady, high-speed interstate cruise. You'll likely experience varied road conditions and speeds as you transition between local routes and the brief section of I-71, making for an engaging driving experience.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road is the longest continuous segment at about 16.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South High Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.7 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (West Town Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Civic Center Drive): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

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

7
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | South High Street

Turn left onto South High Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Town Street

Turn right onto West Town Street

Navigation decision point

7
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Civic Center Drive

At end of road, turn left onto Civic Center Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 71

Merge onto I 71

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
13.1 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward US 62, SR 3: Harrisburg

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 94 Toward US 62, SR 3: Harrisburg

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road 16.9 mi 25m
I 71 12.3 mi 14m
Harrisburg Pike 10 mi 14m
High Street 5.3 mi 9m
US 35 2.6 mi 2m
North 2nd Street 1.8 mi 4m
East Columbus Street 0.7 mi 1m
Yankeetown Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road — 16.9 mi, about 25m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Columbus, OH and Frankfort, OH.

1

Start on this road

77 ft · 5 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto East State Street

0.1 mi · 26 sec · East State Street
3

Turn left onto South High Street

494 ft · 20 sec · South High Street
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto West Town Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · West Town Street
5

At end of road, turn left onto Civic Center Drive

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Civic Center Drive
Use the straight lane.
6

Continue on South 2nd Street

0.1 mi · 29 sec · South 2nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 14 sec
8

Merge onto I 71

12 mi · 14 min · I 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 94 Toward US 62, SR 3: Harrisburg
10

Turn left onto US 62; SR 3

10.0 mi · 14 min · Harrisburg Pike
Use the straight lane.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto US 62; SR 3

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Columbus Street
12

Turn slight left onto SR 207

0.3 mi · 25 sec · Yankeetown Street
13

Continue on SR 207

17 mi · 25 min · Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road
14

Turn right onto SR 138

5.3 mi · 9 min · High Street
15

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 33 sec
16

Merge onto US 35

2.6 mi · 2 min · US 35
17

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
18

Turn right onto Frankfort Clarksburg Pike

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Frankfort Clarksburg Pike
19

Continue on North 2nd Street

1.8 mi · 4 min · North 2nd Street
20

Turn left onto Springfield Street

281 ft · 7 sec · Springfield Street
21

Arrive at destination

Springfield Street

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 25.8 mi from Columbus, OH · 35m into the drive

Downtown Mount Sterling, OH, OH

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Mount Sterling, OH

26 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

Grove City, OH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Mount Sterling, OH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.8 miles from Columbus, OH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Frankfort, OH

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

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.02 one way

$16.05 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.38 $8.91 $17.81
premium $4.91 $9.99 $19.98
diesel $5.61 $11.41 $22.83

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.5 0 $5.43 $2.48
Efficient EV 12.9 0 $4.52 $2.07
EV Truck/SUV 20.7 0 $7.24 $3.31

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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 15, 2026

Origin

Columbus, OH

Afternoon in Columbus on Thursday

Local time

12:36 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 12 mph 34% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 14 at 7:46PM EDT until April 14 at 8:30PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 14 at 7:45PM EDT until April 14 at 8:45PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH

Destination

Frankfort, OH

Afternoon in Frankfort on Thursday

Local time

12:36 PM

EDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

36°F

Mount Sterling, OH

26 mi in

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

11 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 16m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Columbus, OH to Frankfort, OH covers 51.7 miles and takes about 1h 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Mount Sterling-Waterloo Road, I 71, Harrisburg Pike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.8 miles from Columbus, OH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.02 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.7 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (West Town Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Civic Center Drive): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Columbus, OH to Frankfort, OH does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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