Walnut Creek to Lorain is 84 miles and takes about 1 hour 49 minutes via Avon Lake Road and Dover Road, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Ohio, taking you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Expect a predominantly local road experience with a limited highway share, making it a good option for a relaxed, same-day trip. The route is designed for a single day of travel, offering a straightforward journey without the need for overnight stays.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
42 miles from Walnut Creek, OH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 53m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 49m. Total distance: 84 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (27%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with only 27% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate primarily on local roads like Avon Lake Road, Dover Road, and Burbank Road. The longest stretch without a significant turn is 13.8 miles on Avon Lake Road, offering a brief period of more consistent driving. Be prepared for frequent changes in direction as you make your way across the landscape.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 42 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Avon Lake Road is the longest continuous segment at about 13.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 10.8 miles in near US 250 / West Main Street.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 84 miles you will encounter 15 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 10.8 miles (US 250 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 34.8 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 57 miles (SR 83 / Avon Lake Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
10.8 mi into trip|~17m in|US 250 / West Main Street
Turn left onto US 250 / West Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
34.8 mi into trip|~45m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
57 mi into trip|~1h 12m in|SR 83 / Avon Lake Road
Enter roundabout onto SR 83 / Avon Lake Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
61.8 mi into trip|~1h 18m in|SR 83; SR 303 / Avon Belden Road
Enter roundabout onto SR 83; SR 303 / Avon Belden Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
61.9 mi into trip|~1h 18m in|SR 57; SR 83 / Avon Belden Road
Enter roundabout onto SR 57; SR 83 / Avon Belden Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avon Lake Road
13.8 mi
16m
Dover Road
13.7 mi
15m
Burbank Road
10.3 mi
11m
John F. Kennedy Memorial Parkway
6.6 mi
9m
US 250
5.7 mi
6m
US 62
5.5 mi
8m
SR 515
5.2 mi
9m
Avon Belden Road
4.2 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Avon Lake Road
— 13.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Walnut Creek, OH and Lorain, OH.
1
Start on SR 515
297 ft·6 sec·Walnut Street
2
Continue on SR 515
5.2 mi·9 min·SR 515
3
At end of road, turn right onto US 62
0.9 mi·1 min·US 62
4
Turn slight left onto US 62
4.6 mi·6 min·US 62
5
Turn left onto Center Street
293 ft·18 sec·Center Street
6
Turn left onto US 250
0.2 mi·14 sec·West Main Street
7
Continue on US 250
0.9 mi·1 min·Sandusky Drive Southwest
8
Continue on US 250
3.1 mi·3 min·Dover Road
9
Continue on US 250
0.4 mi·34 sec·East Main Street
10
Continue on US 250
7.0 mi·7 min·Dover Road
11
Continue on US 250
1.6 mi·1 min·East Main Street
12
Continue on US 250
3.6 mi·4 min·Dover Road
13
Keep slight right at fork onto US 250
5.7 mi·6 min·US 250
14
Continue on SR 83
1.2 mi·1 min·Burbank Road
15
Enter roundabout onto SR 83
115 ft·1 sec·Burbank Road
16
Continue on SR 83
0.2 mi·11 sec·Burbank Road
17
Enter roundabout
122 ft·1 sec
18
Continue
251 ft·3 sec
19
Turn straight onto SR 83
8.9 mi·10 min·Burbank Road
20
Continue on SR 83
0.4 mi·30 sec·N Front Street
21
Continue on SR 83
2.6 mi·4 min·Avon Lake Road
22
Continue on SR 83
0.9 mi·1 min·Wooster Street
23
Continue on SR 83
0.5 mi·1 min·Elyria Street
24
Continue on SR 83
8.9 mi·10 min·Avon Lake Road
25
Enter roundabout onto SR 83
524 ft·8 sec·Avon Lake Road
26
Continue on SR 83
2.2 mi·2 min·Avon Lake Road
27
Continue on SR 83
2.5 mi·2 min·Avon Belden Road
28
Enter roundabout onto SR 83; SR 303
78 ft·1 sec·Avon Belden Road
29
Continue on SR 83; SR 303
229 ft·3 sec·Avon Belden Road
30
Enter roundabout onto SR 57; SR 83
139 ft·1 sec·Avon Belden Road
31
Continue on SR 57; SR 83
1.5 mi·1 min·Avon Belden Road
32
Turn left onto SR 57
1.6 mi·1 min·Grafton Road
33
Continue on SR 57
2.0 mi·2 min·Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
34
Continue on SR 57
2.3 mi·2 min·Grafton Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
35
Continue on SR 57
6.6 mi·9 min·John F. Kennedy Memorial Parkway
Use the left lane.
36
Turn right onto SR 57
2.9 mi·4 min·Lorain Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
37
Continue on SR 57
1.5 mi·2 min·Grove Avenue
38
Turn left onto SR 57
2.3 mi·3 min·East 28th Street
39
Turn right onto SR 57
0.5 mi·47 sec·Broadway
40
Turn left onto SR 611
0.8 mi·1 min·West 21st Street
41
Turn right onto Hamilton Avenue
0.1 mi·31 sec·Hamilton Avenue
42
Arrive at destination
Hamilton Avenue
Trip Plan
Given the short 1 hour 49 minute duration, this drive offers plenty of flexibility; you can depart anytime and still complete it well before dark. With no planned stops, consider making a brief fueling stop before you leave Walnut Creek to ensure you have enough gas for the 84-mile trip, especially since the estimated fuel cost is only $13. Keep an eye on your navigation as the route is turn-heavy; a small mistake could easily add time to your journey. This is a route where you can easily add an unscheduled stop if you see something interesting along the way.
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 42 miles from Walnut Creek, OH, or about 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 13.8 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 18 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42 miles or 53m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lorain, OH than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Walnut Creek, OH so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Walnut Creek, OH
This is one driving day of about 84 miles and 1h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Walnut Creek, OH.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Avon Lake Road for about 13.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 42 mi from Walnut Creek, OH
· 53m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
National Park
Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discov...
24 mi from route
~59 min detour
Free
near mile 60.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.04 one way
$26.07 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg29 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.38
$14.47
$28.94
premium
$4.91
$16.23
$32.47
diesel
$5.61
$18.55
$37.09
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
25.2
0
$8.82
$4.03
Efficient EV
21
0
$7.35
$3.36
EV Truck/SUV
33.6
0
$11.76
$5.38
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Walnut Creek, OH
Late night
in Walnut Creek on Saturday
Local time
2:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lorain, OH
Late night
in Lorain on Saturday
Local time
2:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Partly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SE 6 to 15 mph18% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:34PM EDT until April 22 at 6:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:34PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana
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
6 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
1h 49m 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 Walnut Creek, OH to Lorain, OH covers 84 miles and takes about 1h 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Avon Lake Road, Dover Road, Burbank Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 42 miles from Walnut Creek, OH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.04 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 84 miles you will encounter 15 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 10.8 miles (US 250 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 34.8 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 57 miles (SR 83 / Avon Lake Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Walnut Creek, OH to Lorain, OH does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
