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Trip from Sunbury, OH to Columbus, OH

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

33m

Distance

26.8 mi

43 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 31m ★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m

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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Downtown Sunbury, OH, OH

Sunbury, OH

Ollie Craig

capital city of Ohio, United States of America

Columbus, OH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Sunbury, OH to Columbus, OH covers 26.8 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 71, State Route 37 East, Cherry Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.2 miles on I 71. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.16 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 26.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

33m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 33m highway drive covering 26.8 miles, with most of the trip on I 71 and State Route 37 East. The longest continuous stretch is about 20.2 miles on I 71.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 71 is the longest continuous segment at about 20.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 71 and State Route 37 East. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.2 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 26.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 4.5 miles (I 71): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

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

5
4.2 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the exit

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

5
4.5 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 71

Merge onto I 71

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
24.7 mi into trip | ~28m in

Take the exit toward I 670 East, I 670 West: Airport, Dayton

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 109A Toward I 670 East, I 670 West: Airport, Dayton
7
25 mi into trip | ~29m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 670 West: Dayton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 670 West: Dayton
6
26.8 mi into trip | ~33m in | East State Street

Turn right onto East State Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Sunbury, OH to Columbus, OH, road signs begin pointing toward Dayton along the way.

Dayton

24.7 mi in | ~28m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 71 20.2 mi 22m
State Route 37 East 3 mi 3m
Cherry Street 1.2 mi 1m
Northeast Freeway 0.8 mi 1m
North Third Street 0.7 mi 2m
East State Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 71 — 20.2 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on SR 37

1.2 mi · 1 min · Cherry Street
2

Continue on US 36

3.0 mi · 3 min · State Route 37 East
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
4

Merge onto I 71

20 mi · 22 min · I 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Exit 109A Toward I 670 East, I 670 West: Airport, Dayton Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 670 West: Dayton Use the slight right lane.
7

Merge onto I 670

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Northeast Freeway
8

Keep slight left at fork onto Northeast Freeway

0.6 mi · 53 sec · Northeast Freeway
Toward US 23 South
9

Turn straight onto US 23

0.7 mi · 2 min · North Third Street
Use the straight lane.
10

Turn right onto East State Street

106 ft · 3 sec · East State Street
Use the right lane.
11

Turn right

88 ft · 6 sec
12

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.16 one way

$8.32 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.38 $4.62 $9.23
premium $4.91 $5.18 $10.36
diesel $5.61 $5.92 $11.83

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8 0 $2.81 $1.29
Efficient EV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07
EV Truck/SUV 10.7 0 $3.75 $1.72

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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 16, 2026

Origin

Sunbury, OH

Late night in Sunbury on Friday

Local time

12:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

76°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

SW 15 mph 56% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 16 at 3:16PM EDT until April 16 at 4:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 3:08PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Destination

Columbus, OH

Late night in Columbus on Friday

Local time

12:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

10 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

33m 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 Sunbury, OH to Columbus, OH covers 26.8 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 71, State Route 37 East, Cherry Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.4 miles from Sunbury, OH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.16 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 short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 26.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 4.5 miles (I 71): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Sunbury, OH to Columbus, OH, road signs begin pointing toward Dayton along the way.

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