CMH · Layover Guide
Columbus
Stop in Columbus.
Best layover: 3–24h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in Columbus for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
Planning a stop in Columbus?
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 58 · Discover 44 · Ease 19
Why Columbus scores 58
Getting there
Uber/Lyft $22 · COTA Bus Route 7 $2
min to center
bus- 01Uber/Lyft to downtown (15-20 min, ~$18-25)
- 02COTA Bus Route 7 (45 min, $2)
- 03Rental car (abundant options at airport)
- 01German Village's brick streets and Book Loft bookstore with 32 rooms
- 02North Market food hall with local vendors since 1876
- 03Short North Arts District galleries and murals
- 04Ohio State University campus and Buckeye football culture
- 05Franklin Park Conservatory's botanical gardens
Experiences in Columbus
Timed tours and tickets for Columbus are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Drury Inn & Suites Columbus Convention Center
Downtown Columbus
$69/day
0 min walk
Bounce Luggage Storage
Short North area
$6/bag
5 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
Uber/Lyft
Airport to Downtown
Most convenient option, readily available
18 min
$22.00
COTA Bus Route 7
Airport to Downtown
Runs every 30 min, connects to downtown transit center
45 min
$2.00
Taxi
Airport to Downtown
Flat rate to downtown available
18 min
$30.00
No city pass available for this city.
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Local craft beer at Donatos and Brio
- 02Art installations throughout terminals
- 03Relatively compact and easy to navigate
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