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Ohio Superslab alternatives

Kristopher

This is my Car!
I'm going to be crossing Ohio from Pennsylvania in June and would like to avoid staying on Route 80. Looking at the map I thought 224 or 30 would be good alternatives for crossing Ohio. Anyone close to these roads or have been on them can give me a feedback on if they are a good choice for crossing the state. Thanks!

Kris
 
I'm going to be crossing Ohio from Pennsylvania in June and would like to avoid staying on Route 80. Looking at the map I thought 224 or 30 would be good alternatives for crossing Ohio. Anyone close to these roads or have been on them can give me a feedback on if they are a good choice for crossing the state. Thanks!

Kris


I live in & travel Ohio quite a bit. US 30 would be my choice. 2 lane & 4 lane mix, good surface accommodations are plenty. Mostly flat...but northern Ohio just is for the most part. Watch your speed the Highway Patrol in Ohio is tough!
 
Thanks! I'll be passing through on my way out west and would like a more scenic route through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. I'll need or would like a highway break after going through the length of Pa. on Route 80.
 
224 west of Canfield to Akron is a decent stretch but I would try to avoid Akron, the traffic can get annoying. Best bet would be to take 62 out of Canfield to Salem and then take 9 south to 172. 172 will run straight into rt 30 in East Canton. 30 is a nice route even if it is slab. There is little traffic and the scenery isn't too bad for central Ohio.
 
224 west of Canfield to Akron is a decent stretch but I would try to avoid Akron, the traffic can get annoying. Best bet would be to take 62 out of Canfield to Salem and then take 9 south to 172. 172 will run straight into rt 30 in East Canton. 30 is a nice route even if it is slab. There is little traffic and the scenery isn't too bad for central Ohio.

That's great thanks! I'm looking at your route right now on a map.
 
I'm going to be crossing Ohio from Pennsylvania in June and would like to avoid staying on Route 80. Looking at the map I thought 224 or 30 would be good alternatives for crossing Ohio. Anyone close to these roads or have been on them can give me a feedback on if they are a good choice for crossing the state. Thanks!

Kris


One other note. You say June? The last Saturday in June is the Lima 1/2 mile flat track race, it is a night race ,qualifying starts around 7;00PM. it is held @ the Wayne Co fair grounds just 5-7 miles south of US 30 on st/rt 309.
If ya like that sort of thing, it is a good race, and a darn fine parking lot show.
 
One other note. You say June? The last Saturday in June is the Lima 1/2 mile flat track race, it is a night race ,qualifying starts around 7;00PM. it is held @ the Wayne Co fair grounds just 5-7 miles south of US 30 on st/rt 309.
If ya like that sort of thing, it is a good race, and a darn fine parking lot show.

I might be a little early for that. I'll definitely check that out if I'm there, sounds like fun. Good to know! Thanks for the tip.
 
I'm a flatlander from the Toledo, Ohio area. I would agree that on the north side of the state, that 30 would be the most scenic, for the longer, but it will take you a lot more time as there is quite a few small towns to go through across the state. The northeast side of the state is real nice, but when you get to about the center of the state, it flattens out quite a bit, and will be fairly flat to until you reach the Rockies. If you wanted to, you could go along route 6 just west of Cleveland, and it will run along Lake Erie off and on. But also a lot of small towns to go through. BTW, last year, I took a trip to Gettysburg, and when I got just east of Pittsburgh, I hopped on 30 all the way to Gettysburg. What a fun route.
 
US 30- from Canton, Ohio west is mostly divided 4 lane highway. There are fewer trucks by far than on I80, but other than that is is largely similar to an interstate. Once you hit Indiana, it becomes a 2 lane as you approach Fort Wayne, then goes back to 4 lane the rest of the way - with stoplights and crossroads. It becomes a two lane again as you move into Illinois. The first stretch in Illinois can be challenging. It crosses I 80. After the metro Chicago congestion it becomes travel through small town Illinois.

If you are going more to the south, consider Ohio 39 that starts where Ohio, PA and WV meet. Then drop a little south to US 36 across Ohio and west to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. You go through some interesting hill country and mostly small towns. Mathias BMW is in New Philadelphia, Ohio where you would switch from 39 to 36.
 
US 30- from Canton, Ohio west is mostly divided 4 lane highway. There are fewer trucks by far than on I80, but other than that is is largely similar to an interstate. Once you hit Indiana, it becomes a 2 lane as you approach Fort Wayne, then goes back to 4 lane the rest of the way - with stoplights and crossroads. It becomes a two lane again as you move into Illinois. The first stretch in Illinois can be challenging. It crosses I 80. After the metro Chicago congestion it becomes travel through small town Illinois.

If you are going more to the south, consider Ohio 39 that starts where Ohio, PA and WV meet. Then drop a little south to US 36 across Ohio and west to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. You go through some interesting hill country and mostly small towns. Mathias BMW is in New Philadelphia, Ohio where you would switch from 39 to 36.

Well 30 Doesn't seem that appealing anymore if it's just basic highway travel. I have been eyeing 224 across the state too and was hoping it was a two laner, can't tell looking at the map. Wasn't planning on going that far south bur I'll have to keep US 36 to 39 in mind.


Thanks for the cool link!
 
224 through Ohio is two lanes with few exceptions...like the Akron area. It will take you through a lot of small towns. As you progress west it becomes flatter and straighter

When you get to Findlay you will travel through what used to be known as the Black Swamp before the farmers drained the land. The Black Swamp covered a large part of NW Ohio. No swamp today, but a huge wind farm by Van Wert, Ohio

When the interstates were under heavy construction, 224 was one of the roads I would take.

In Indiana it eventually becomes US 24 and continues west until Peoria, Illinois....from there it goes Southwest. It is a two lane road through farmland.

If you stay on it long enough it takes you through Mark Twain's home town in Hannibal, Missouri.

Unless I am in a hurry to reach a destination, I take this kind of road to make the trips more interesting. When I get lost, it makes it more interesting!
 
Satellite or street view in Google Maps will let you count lanes, traffic lights, tar snakes and potholes.

224 through Ohio is two lanes with few exceptions...like the Akron area. It will take you through a lot of small towns. As you progress west it becomes flatter and straighter

When you get to Findlay you will travel through what used to be known as the Black Swamp before the farmers drained the land. The Black Swamp covered a large part of NW Ohio. No swamp today, but a huge wind farm by Van Wert, Ohio

When the interstates were under heavy construction, 224 was one of the roads I would take.

In Indiana it eventually becomes US 24 and continues west until Peoria, Illinois....from there it goes Southwest. It is a two lane road through farmland.

If you stay on it long enough it takes you through Mark Twain's home town in Hannibal, Missouri.

Unless I am in a hurry to reach a destination, I take this kind of road to make the trips more interesting. When I get lost, it makes it more interesting!

Thank you both for your help! Sounds like a good northern route to take across.
 
Where is your next westward destination after Ohio and how fast are you trying to get there? If you like turns, Ohio roads get more enjoyable the farther South you go and get more boring the farther West you go. Roughly translated, you are getting off the interstate when I'd be thinking of getting on. Then again, I-80 can be fun through PA...
 
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