Take a drive through the agricultural heartland of western Ohio as we follow Interstate 70 from Englewood to the Indiana state line near Richmond. This 29-mile journey traces one of America’s oldest transcontinental routes as it moves from suburban Dayton to the flat, open countryside near the state border, all while offering a glimpse into the quieter side of the Buckeye State.
We begin our journey merging onto I-70 westbound at State Route 48 in Englewood, just north of Dayton. The highway here is wide and well-maintained, bordered by low suburban development, gas stations, and travel plazas. Englewood, along with neighboring Clayton and Trotwood, forms part of the larger Dayton metro sprawl, but the landscape quickly thins out as we make our way west. Traffic flows steadily, flanked by tree-lined embankments that give way to the occasional subdivision or industrial park. As we continue past Exit 24 for Brookville, signs of suburbia fade entirely, replaced by expansive skies and fields broken only by silos and the occasional barn.
Beyond Brookville, the land opens up in earnest. This is classic western Ohio: vast flatlands cut by county roads, with patches of woodland and well-organized row crops stretching to the horizon. The interchanges become more sparse, underscoring the rural shift. We pass the small communities of Lewisburg and New Paris at a distance, their water towers just visible through the cornfields. The Ohio Turnpike it is not—this stretch of I-70 is quieter, humbler, yet no less vital. It remains an essential east-west corridor linking Columbus and Indianapolis, but here it belongs to long-haul truckers, RV travelers, and folks making cross-county commutes.
As mile marker 1 approaches, we begin a gentle descent toward the Indiana state line. The final ramp in Ohio connects to U.S. Route 40—the Old National Road—which runs parallel to I-70 through much of the Midwest. Just before crossing into Indiana, the highway dips through a shallow wooded ravine and crosses a small creek, marking the transition into a new state and time zone. On the other side, we’re immediately within the city limits of Richmond, Indiana—a historic town that once thrived as a manufacturing hub and now plays host to antique shops, music festivals, and a portion of the old U.S. 40 alignment.
This drive is a study in transition—not just of geography, but of pace and purpose. From Dayton’s bustling outskirts to the quiet flatlands that frame the Indiana border, I-70 here reminds us that not all interstates are about speed and volume. Sometimes, they’re about the long breath between destinations, the slow fade of development into farmland, and the unseen stories told by every barn, field, and roadside diner. As we cross into Indiana, it’s easy to imagine the millions who’ve traveled this same corridor—from families heading west during the great migrations, to modern-day travelers tracing history with every mile.
🗺️ Route Map
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