WalletHub: Ohio ranked 5th among road trip states

PORT CLINTON – Now that the summer season is well underway, gas prices are relatively low and families are gearing up for vacations, an increasing number of Americans are taking road trips — and Ohio may be one of the top destinations.

According to WalletHub, an online resource for personal finance, Ohio comes in as the fifth best in the country for road trips after an extensive study that compared 20 key metrics to rank all 50 states.

One of Ohio's biggest advantages that may come as a surprise to local residents is road quality, where the state ranked sixth. WalletHub looked into criteria such as traffic conditions, safety and quality of roads statewide and noted only 10 percent of the major roads in Ohio have been deemed in poor condition. In comparison, states such as Michigan and California have percentages upward of 50.

"The quality of roads are substantially better than most other states in the rest of the country," said Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub expert.

Ohio also tops the charts for the number of scenic roads, byways and highways, ranking seventh in a category that carried a lot of weight.

The largest scenic byway in the state, the Lake Eire Coastal Ohio Trail, runs through much of Ottawa County, along Ohio 163 in Port Clinton and Marblehead, and Ohio 53 through Catawba Island.

"A road trip is just that, you spend a lot of your time driving on the roads," Gonzalez said. "So being able to enjoy your drive is such a huge part of a road trip, we felt that it did deserve more weight."

Another way for travelers to save money is for Ohioians to keep their vacation road trips in-state, taking advantage of their home state's parks, attractions and rates.

"(In Ohio,) you can still do almost all of the activities you can do anywhere else in the country but at a much more affordable price," Gonzalez said.

Being close to the Lake Erie shoreline also is an advantage, where access to summer water activities is cheaper than many other states. It also is in driving distance to attractions such as Cedar Point, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and plenty of others.

While Ohio's camping rates rank more toward the middle of the pack, that's still another consideration for saving money while road tripping. Other tips for the budget-conscience, Gonzalez said, are to use new tools and services such as apps such as GasBuddy and Airbnb.

"Sometimes thinking outside of the box can be what's best for your budget," she said.

jstinchcom@gannett.com

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Twitter: @JonDBN