Western Ohio's Historic National Road
Road Trip
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149.8 miles:
4 hours,
35 minutes
Western Ohio’s Historic National Road is a straight-as-an-arrow drive from Kirkersville to the Illinois border. The majority of the trip follows US 40, which was built on top of the National Road in the 1920s. Break up the rural scenery with a stop in Columbus, the capital and largest city in Ohio.
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1
Kirkersville to West Jefferson
60.0 miles:
2 hours,
12 minutes
Views will consist mostly of corn fields on the first leg of your trip, but don’t be lulled into a sleepy state. You’ll soon enter the bustling city of Columbus. Look to the roadside and you may spot a few motels and historic buildings that were popular during the National Road’s heyday. You’ll cross over the Scioto River on the Broad Street Bridge leaving Columbus.
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2
West Jefferson to Springfield
29.9 miles:
49 minutes
The landscape opens up after Columbus, with wide expanses of fields and flat land as far as the eye can see. The westbound lanes of US 40 follow the original alignment of the National Road here. Halfway between Columbus and Springfield sits The Red Brick Tavern; built in the 1830s, it served as a stagecoach inn for early travelers on the National Road.
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3
Springfield to Vandalia
24.1 miles:
37 minutes
The National Road narrows to two lanes after Springfield, passing small hills, pockets of forests and more farmland along the way. Near Dayton, the road (US 40) takes a slight detour south through scenic Taylorsville MetroPark, crossing the Great Miami River via the Taylorsville Dam.
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4
Vandalia to Indiana state line
35.8 miles:
55 minutes
Leaving Vandalia you’ll pass the Dayton International Airport before the road turns south again, this time to pass through Englewood MetroPark. You’ll have an elevated view of the parkland as you cross the Englewood Reservoir on the Englewood Dam. From there it’s a straight shot on US 40 to the Indiana state line.
