Columbus sits at the geographical core of the Midwest, and that central position makes it one of the most overlooked road trip starting points. Whether you’re a student at Ohio State University, ranked No. 2 on our list of the most beautiful college campuses in the US, looking to escape campus for a weekend, or a parent exploring the region while visiting colleges, the drive options from Columbus are truly exceptional.
From timeworn gorges and expansive Amish farmland to the steel skylines of Chicago and Pittsburgh, each path out of Columbus leads somewhere spectacular. Pair that with a SIXT car rental, and you’ll have the kind of comfortable, flexible travel setup that transforms a good trip into a great one. Opt for a premium sedan for an urban getaway, an SUV for a national park adventure, or a luxury car for a road trip in style.
Here’s how to make the most of every mile.
Quick Day Trips From Columbus (Just Under 2 Hours)
Hocking Hills State Park
Distance from Columbus: roughly 56 miles southeast, around 1 hour
Hocking Hills State Park is the kind of place that makes people pause in their tracks. Ancient sandstone caves, striking gorges, and waterfalls sculpted over millennia make this one of the most visually impressive natural areas east of the Mississippi. The park’s highlight, Ash Cave, is the largest recessed cave in Ohio, and the trail leading to it follows a creek bed that feels truly cinematic in autumn.
Old Man’s Cave is the most frequented trail in the park, and with good reason. The complete loop takes you through hemlock forest, past 2 waterfalls, and through a slender gorge that justifies every Instagram post. For a more tranquil experience, Cedar Falls attracts fewer visitors and rewards you with one of the state’s most stunning waterfalls.
Go early, particularly during fall weekends when the foliage color is at its peak. An SUV from SIXT makes the drive out on winding state routes easy, and having the extra cargo space for hiking gear, layers, and a cooler is a notable upgrade over squeezing everything into a compact.
Amish Country, Holmes County
Distance from Columbus: roughly 84 miles northeast, around 2 hours.
Holmes County boasts the largest Amish community in the world, and a day trip here offers an experience unlike anything else in the Midwest. The draw is the landscape itself: open farmland, handcrafted barns, horse-drawn buggies on rural roads, and small towns where the pace slows to something you didn’t realize you needed.
Millersburg and Berlin are the main centers. Stop by a local bakery, pick up handcrafted furniture or quilts, and cruise the back roads with no particular pace and no specific deadline. It’s precisely the kind of slow travel that rejuvenates people who have been moving fast.
This is also one of the finest driving routes in Ohio. The roads through the rolling hills of Holmes County are scenic enough to justify the trip on their own, especially in a well-appointed sedan where the ride quality allows you to fully appreciate the view.
Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve
Distance from Columbus: roughly 54 miles west, around 1 hour.
Clifton Gorge is a compact but genuinely spectacular natural area carved by the Little Miami River through ancient limestone and dolomite. The gorge walls reach heights of 100 feet in some areas, and the trails run right along the rim and down to the river below. It connects directly to John Bryan State Park, effectively doubling the hiking options.
This is an ideal half-day trip. You could be back in Columbus for a late dinner, having spent the afternoon somewhere that looks fit for a travel magazine.
Weekend Getaways From Columbus (2 to 4 Hours)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Distance from Columbus: roughly 130 miles northeast, around 2 hours.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park sits between Cleveland and Akron and packs in a surprising amount of diversity. The Cuyahoga River cuts through a deep valley lined with forest, and the park’s 125 miles of trails range from flat towpath walks to challenging ridge hikes with expansive views.
The Brandywine Falls trail stands out, reaching a 60-foot waterfall set in a dramatic gorge. The park also operates the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which traverses the heart of the park and offers a completely different perspective on the landscape.
2 hours from Columbus, this makes for a practical and rewarding overnight stay. Pair it with a night in Hudson or Peninsula, 2 small towns just outside the park boundary with excellent dining and a lot of architectural charm.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Distance from Columbus: roughly 185 miles east, around 3 hours.
Pittsburgh is one of the most underrated city destinations in the eastern US. The hilly, riverine geography makes it unlike any other American city, and the cultural infrastructure is much larger than its population would suggest. The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History are outstanding. The Strip District is one of the best food market areas in the country. The view of downtown from Mount Washington, across the three rivers at night, is one of the great urban panoramas in America.
Long Weekend Drives
Chicago, Illinois
Distance from Columbus: roughly 311 miles, around 6 hours.
Chicago rewards every type of traveler. The architecture alone makes it one of the most visually captivating cities in America. A weekend there covers as much or as little as you desire: world-class museums including the Art Institute and the Field Museum, the lakefront, incredible dining across every price point, and neighborhoods worth exploring on foot for hours at a time.
Driving to Chicago from Columbus is a straightforward interstate run, and arriving with your own rental car means you control the itinerary. SIXT’s locations make it convenient to pick up a premium vehicle and make the journey part of the experience rather than just the commute.
This one works particularly well as a parent-and-student trip, especially for families visiting OSU who want to see what the broader region offers before committing to four years in the Midwest.
Seasonal Drives Worth Planning Around
Leaf Season in Brown County, Indiana
Distance from Columbus: roughly 200 miles west, around 3.5-4 hours.
Brown County, Indiana has a well-deserved reputation as the leaf-peeping capital of the Midwest. Nashville, Indiana, the county seat, is a small artistic town surrounded by rolling forested hills that in October blaze with color. Brown County State Park is one of the largest state parks in Indiana and offers enough trails and overlooks to fill an entire weekend.
The drive itself becomes part of the attraction in fall. A well-equipped SUV from SIXT with comfortable seating and a smooth ride makes a long leaf-season weekend feel genuinely luxurious rather than like an endurance test.
Timing matters here. Peak color in Brown County typically arrives in mid-to-late October. Plan around it and book early.
Big Ten Country: Campus Road Trips on Game Day
Columbus is the beating heart of Big Ten country, and Ohio State’s football weekends are genuinely iconic experiences. But the road trip culture extends well beyond Columbus. Driving to Ann Arbor for a rivalry game, heading to West Lafayette to see Purdue, or making the trip to Penn State for a white-out game in Beaver Stadium are bucket-list experiences for any college sports fan.
If you’re already thinking about the most beautiful college campuses in the US and which ones are worth visiting in person, a game-day road trip is one of the best ways to experience a campus when it’s fully alive.
Making the Most of Your Columbus Base
Columbus itself is genuinely worth the time before or after any of these trips. Short North is the city’s arts and dining hub, the Franklin Park Conservatory is a genuine surprise, and the Ohio State campus, ranked among the most beautiful college campuses in the nation, is worth walking properly rather than just driving past.
For those building out a longer Midwest itinerary, whether that means touring college campuses before a big decision or ticking off a regional bucket list, read our guide to the ultimate college packing list for students to ensure you are set up for comfortable, practical travel. And if visiting multiple campuses is on the agenda, our breakdown of Ivy League school locations and how to make the most of campus tours covers everything you need to plan smart.
Pick up your SIXT rental car and set your own pace. The Midwest rewards those who take the time to stop.
