The best road trip stops on the St Louis to Columbus drive are Casey IL, Indianapolis and Dayton OH. The distance from St Louis to Columbus, Ohio, by car is 420 miles, with a 6h14m driving time.
Planning a road trip from St Louis to Columbus, Ohio
A road trip from St Louis to Columbus takes you from the Mississippi River to the capital of Ohio.
5 great St Louis experiences to book
- 🌆 Take a small group tour of the Gateway Arch – including tickets to the top.
- 🚢 Combine a visit to the Gateway Arch with a river cruise.
- 📸 At the Museum of Illusions, get reels of cool social media photos.
- 👻 Discover the dark side of St Louis on an evening ghost tour.
- 🍽️ On a food and history walking tour, learn about the flavours and stories of St Louis.
St Louis is one of America’s great crossroads cities. The major landmark is the 630ft-tall Gateway Arch, which visitors can go to the top of. Other top attractions include Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, plus the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and Old Courthouse in the city.
Good St Louis experiences include highlight-packed trolley tours, true crime walking tours and small group tours that include going to the top of the St Louis Arch and a Mississippi River cruise.
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.
St Louis to Columbus distance and driving time
By car, the distance from St Louis to Columbus is 420 miles. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 14 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-70. The best stops to add to a St Louis to Columbus road trip are Casey IL, Indianapolis and Dayton OH.
St Louis to Columbus road trip attractions: Casey, Illinois
Casey, Illinois, is possibly the silliest town in the US. It has decided that its niche is going to be making Big Things, and displaying them by the side of the road. That means you can see the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, the World’s Largest Pitchfork, the World’s Largest Golf Tee and several other record-breakers.
Not all are officially the biggest on the planet, but you can also see the Big Rocking Horse, the Big Taco and the Big Anvil.
Best stops between St Louis and Columbus: Indianapolis
The capital of Indiana marries big city energy with country charm.
Top attractions in Indianapolis include the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Worthwhile Indianapolis experiences include a Fountain Square food tour and a walking tour around the city’s highlights.
St Louis to Columbus drive: Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio, isn’t a massive city, but it has more than played its part in history. It was here that Orville and Wilbur Wright created the first plane capable of manned, sustained flight. The original Wright Cycle Company Shop that still stands is not where the Wright Flyer was made – that was a future incarnation of the company HQ – but it was home to their bicycle business.
In Dayton, you can also visit the SunWatch Indian Village, a recreated Native American village, and the National Museum of the US Air Force.
More Ohio road trips
- Road trips from Columbus, Ohio: Guides to the Columbus to Chicago drive, Columbus to Detroit drive, Columbus to Indianapolis drive, Columbus to Philadelphia drive and Columbus to Pittsburgh drive.
- Road trips from Toledo, Ohio: Guides to the Toledo to Chicago drive and Toledo to Detroit drive.
- Getting to Cincinnati: The best stops on the Columbus to Cincinnati drive, Louisville to Cincinnati drive, Nashville to Cincinnati drive and Pittsburgh to Cincinnati drive.
- Road trips from Cincinnati: Take on the Cincinnati to Chicago drive.
- Getting to Cleveland: The best stops on the Cincinnati to Cleveland drive, Columbus to Cleveland drive, Indianapolis to Cleveland drive, Toledo to Cleveland drive and Pittsburgh to Cleveland drive.
