Columbus to Ann Arbor road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The distance from Columbus to Ann Arbor by car is 190 miles, with a 3h10m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Columbus to Ann Arbor drive are the Wyandot Popcorn Museum, Findlay OH and the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
Planning a Columbus to Ann Arbor road trip itinerary
A Columbus to Ann Arbor road trip takes you from the capital of Ohio to an amiable university city in Michigan.
In Columbus, a three day attractions pass covers most of the top sights. These include the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. For other Columbus experiences, try scavenger hunts, a town tour aboard the Trolley Pub and the Legoland Discovery Center.
Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan and most of the city’s key highlights have university links. The Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History are the two big museums – expect crowd-pleasing mammoth skeletons and a planetarium in the latter.
On a sunny day, you’ll probably be more content strolling through the Nichols Arboretum or Matthaei Botanic Gardens. Alternatively, try paddleboarding or kayaking on the Huron River.
Columbus to Ann Arbor distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Columbus to Ann Arbor is 190 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 10 minutes. The quickest route goes along the US-23 and I-75.
The best stops on a Columbus to Ann Arbor road trip itinerary are the Wyandot Popcorn Museum, Findlay OH and the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
Columbus to Ann Arbor road trip attractions: Wyandot Popcorn Museum
Marion, Ohio, plays host to a rather unusual attraction which should bring nostalgia flooding back for many.
Under a circus-style big top tent, the Wyandot Popcorn Museum has collected scores of popcorn machines, carts and other popcorn-related paraphernalia. Many are from Wyandot Inc, the Marion-based snack company, and some of the carts are more than 100 years old.
Columbus to Ann Arbor drive: Findlay OH
Findlay OH has a handful of moderately interesting museums. The Hancock Historical Museum covers local history, and the Children’s Museum of Findlay is about learning through play. Kids can explore a range of mini-settings, from a farm to a fire station.
If just passing through, the Oakwoods Nature Preserve is likely to hold most appeal. It has picnic areas, nature trails, a boardwalk and two lakes for fishing and kayaking.
Things to do between Columbus and Ann Arbor: National Museum of the Great Lakes
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, really embraces the scale and scope of its subject. The aim is to show how the Great Lakes have shaped America’s cultural, economic and political history, covering everything from the Underground Railroad to Prohibition-era rum-runners.
The highlight of the visit is the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, once an iron ore freighter plying its trade on the lakes, now a museum ship.
Other Toledo experiences include Toledo Zoo.
More Columbus road trips
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