Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Council Bluffs to Columbus. If you're planning a road trip to Columbus, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
10:00 am start in Council Bluffs
drive for about 2 hours
11:55 am West Des Moines
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:55 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
3:20 pm University of Iowa
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:20 pm
drive for about 1 hour
5:29 pm Davenport (Iowa)
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 5.5 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Davenport (Iowa)
drive for about 2 hours
11:11 am Bloomington (Illinois)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:11 pm
drive for about 3 hours
3:06 pm Indianapolis
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 4:06 pm
drive for about 2 hours
6:01 pm Dayton
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 7:01 pm
drive for about 1 hour
8:08 pm arrive in Columbus
day 2 driving ≈ 8 hours
find more stops
West Des Moines (3 answers)
questions about West Des Moines:
Best free things to do in West Des Moines?
University of Iowa (7 mentions)
Davenport (Iowa) (2 answers)
Bloomington (Illinois) (7 answers)
questions about Bloomington (Illinois):
Best free things to do in Bloomington (Illinois)?
Inexpensive things for 4
Covid sensitive hotels
Indianapolis (41 answers)
Indianapolis Museum of Art (4 mentions)
Indianapolis Zoo (2 mentions)
questions about Indianapolis:
What is your favorite restaurant in Indianapolis?
Your Favorite Holiday Events in Indianapolis
Best free things to do in Indianapolis?
Awesome food trucks?
Safe area?
Dayton (5 answers)
questions about Dayton:
Activities
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Late Night Slice, which was mentioned 5 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Columbus? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Columbus. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Katie from Los Angeles asked:
What's the best neighborhood in Columbus for a first time visitor? (15 answers)
Valerie from Los Angeles asked:
What is your favorite restaurant in Columbus? (8 answers)
Hannah from Milwaukee asked:
Where should we eat in Columbus? (6 answers)
Daphne from Chicago asked:
What to see and eat in Short North with just a day? (6 answers)
Bob from asked:
Traveling thru Columbus Ohio on I -71 need a motel near by. (3 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Columbus.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Columbus to Council Bluffs drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Council Bluffs to Columbus. Or get a full Council Bluffs to Columbus flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Council Bluffs well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Council Bluffs!