The best stops on a Columbus to Pittsburgh road trip are the John and Annie Glenn Museum, Cambridge and the West Virginia Penitentiary. By car, the distance from Columbus to Pittsburgh is 185 miles, with a 2h59m driving time.
Planning a Columbus to Pittsburgh road trip itinerary
A Columbus to Pittsburgh road trip takes you from the capital of Ohio to an art and natural beauty-packed city in Western Pennsylvania.
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.
Pittsburgh is surprisingly beautiful – take a ride up the Duquesne Incline for the best views out over the city, Point State Park and Fort Pitt. After that, check out the Warhol Museum, National Aviary or the Nationality Rooms in the gigantic Cathedral of Learning.
Pittsburgh experiences include guided whiskey-themed walks and craft beer sampling on a multi-brewery tour.
For Pittsburgh hotels with great reviews, try the Italian villa-style Priory Hotel or the often good value Drury Plaza Hotel Pittsburgh Downtown.
5 great Pittsburgh experiences worth booking
- 🏙️ Take an incredibly well-reviewed private Pittsburgh highlights tour.
- 🍽️ Go on a downtown food tour, with 6 fantastic food and drink stops.
- 👻 Hear spooky tales in the evening on a Pittsburgh ghost tour.
- 🥃 Discover Pittsburgh’s whiskey-soaked history – with two cocktails thrown in.
- 🛴 Visit Pittsburgh’s top photo stops – on a fun-packed Segway tour.
Columbus to Pittsburgh distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Columbus to Pittsburgh is 185 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 59 minutes. The quickest route is almost entirely along the I-90.
The best stops to add to a Columbus to Pittsburgh road trip itinerary are the John and Annie Glenn Museum, Cambridge, Ohio, and the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville.
Columbus to Pittsburgh road trip attractions: John and Annie Glenn Museum
Astronaut turned senator John Glenn was born in Cambridge, Ohio. Confusingly, however, his childhood home has been moved to nearby New Concord, where it is now a museum of American history.
The John and Annie Glenn Museum attempts to explain decades of change through the life and work of John, and his disability rights campaigner wife Annie. Topics touched upon include American family life during the Great Depression, the home front in WWII and the Space Race.
Attractions between Columbus and Pittsburgh: Cambridge, Ohio
Cambridge is the gateway to Salt Fork State Park, but it has a few attractions of its own. Converted railway line, the Great Guernsey Trail, stretches for seven miles and is a good bet for wildlife spotting.
Dickens Victorian Village, meanwhile, is a rather hokey take on 1850s England – it comes to life with costumed volunteers in November and December.
Perhaps the highlight, however, is the National Museum of Cambridge Glass, which houses more than 10,000 pieces made by the Cambridge Glass Company. At one point, the company was nationally famous for its coloured glassware.
Columbus to Pittsburgh drive: West Virginia Penitentiary
Take a short detour south at Wheeling and you can visit the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia.
This atmospheric, Gothic former prison is now home to a variety of prison tours. If it’s the architecture and the mood you’re into, go for the photography tour. To learn more about prison life, plump for the guided day tour. And for chills, brave the twilight tour or guided paranormal walk.
There’s also an escape room within the prison, should you fancy playing.
More Pennsylvania travel
Other Pennsylvania travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Getting to Pittsburgh from elsewhere in Pennsylvania: Where to stop on the Allentown to Pittsburgh drive and Harrisburg to Pittsburgh drive.
- Getting to Pittsburgh from interstate: The best stops on the Chicago to Pittsburgh drive and Washington DC to Pittsburgh drive.
- Road trips from Pittsburgh: The best stops on the Pittsburgh to Cleveland drive, Pittsburgh to Cincinnati drive, Pittsburgh to Louisville drive and Pittsburgh to Nashville drive.
- Visitor tips for the Heinz History Center, Phipps Conservatory and Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
- What to expect at the Gettysburg Heritage Center, Seminary Ridge Museum and Jennie Wade House in Gettysburg.
