Origin
Youngstown, OH
Late night in Youngstown on Friday
Local time
4:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Youngstown, OH to Akron, OH
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
49.7 mi
80 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trip Overview
This quick 49.7-mile drive from Youngstown to Akron, Ohio, is easily managed in about 1 hour, making it a perfect day trip. Primarily utilizing I-76 and I-80, with a bit of the Wickliffe Expressway, this route offers a straightforward connection within the Midwest. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $8, you won't need to worry about breaking the bank on gas for this short hop. The highway-focused profile means you'll spend most of your time on well-maintained interstates, so planning for extensive stops isn't necessary, though you can certainly make it a more leisurely journey if you choose. This is a simple, no-fuss drive connecting two Ohio cities.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 49.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this trip, with 95% of the journey taking place on interstates like I-76 and I-80. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 36 miles on I-76, offering a consistent pace. This means you'll be on high-speed, multi-lane roads for the majority of the 49.7 miles. The drive is characterized by its efficiency rather than scenic detours, allowing for a quick and direct transit between Youngstown and Akron. You'll find the road maintains a steady, predictable profile throughout.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 76 is the longest continuous segment at about 36 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 76 and I 80. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 47.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 49.7 miles you will encounter 13 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 47.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 48.4 miles (Fountain Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
47.4 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Take the exit toward SR 8 North: Cuyahoga Falls
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 23B
Toward SR 8 North: Cuyahoga Falls
8
48.2 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward Carroll Street, Buchtel Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1A
Toward Carroll Street, Buchtel Avenue
4
48.4 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
Fountain Street
Turn straight onto Fountain Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
4
48.8 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
SR 18 / East Market Street
Turn left onto SR 18 / East Market Street
Navigation decision point
5
49.6 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
South Main Street
Enter roundabout onto South Main Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 76 | 36 mi | 39m |
| I 80 | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| Wickliffe Expressway | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| South Shore Expressway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Market Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Mill Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Fountain Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Akron Expressway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 76
— 36 mi, about 39m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Youngstown, OH and Akron, OH.
1
Start on Central Square
123 ft
·
9 sec
·
Central Square
2
Continue on Central Square
340 ft
·
14 sec
·
Central Square
3
Turn straight onto Market Street
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Market Street
4
Turn right onto West Woodland Avenue
230 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Woodland Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
6
Merge onto I 680
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Shore Expressway
7
Continue on I 680
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Wickliffe Expressway
8
Merge onto I 80
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
I 80
9
Continue on I 76
36 mi
·
39 min
·
I 76
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 23B
Toward SR 8 North: Cuyahoga Falls
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto SR 8
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
Akron Expressway
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 1A
Toward Carroll Street, Buchtel Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn straight onto Fountain Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Fountain Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Continue on Fountain Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Fountain Street
15
Turn left onto SR 18
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Market Street
16
Turn left onto South Forge Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
South Forge Street
17
Continue on East Mill Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Mill Street
18
Enter roundabout onto South Main Street
162 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Main Street
19
Continue on South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
South Main Street
20
Turn right onto West Bowery Street
72 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Bowery Street
21
Arrive at destination
West Bowery Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.9 mi from Youngstown, OH · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.9 miles from Youngstown, 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.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.71 one way
$15.43 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.38 | $8.56 | $17.12 |
| premium | $4.91 | $9.61 | $19.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.97 | $21.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.22 | $2.39 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.9 | 0 | $6.96 | $3.18 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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.
Destination
Akron, OH
Late night in Akron on Friday
Local time
4:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Edinburg, OH
25 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
9 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 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 Youngstown, OH to Akron, OH covers 49.7 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 76, I 80, Wickliffe Expressway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.9 miles from Youngstown, OH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.71 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 49.7 miles you will encounter 13 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 47.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 48.4 miles (Fountain Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Youngstown, OH to Akron, OH does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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