Exit 173 to Exit 218 / 45 miles eastbound
Cleveland to Youngstown Ohio Turnpike toll
A common commuter and business-day trip across northeastern Ohio. 45 miles eastbound, mostly flat, no city-centre congestion, and a $3.50 toll for a Class 1 car with E-ZPass.
Quick answer: Class 1 (passenger car) Cleveland to Youngstown on the Ohio Turnpike in 2026 costs $3.50 E-ZPass / $5.00 cash. Drive time approximately 40 minutes at 70 mph. The free I-76 routing via Akron is usually slower.
Cost by vehicle class
| Class | Vehicle | E-ZPass | Cash | E-ZPass saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Low 2-axle vehicles and all motorcycles | $3.50 | $5.00 | $1.50 |
| Class 2 | Low 3-axle and high 2-axle vehicles | $6.25 | $8.50 | $2.25 |
| Class 3 | Low 4-axle and high 3-axle vehicles | $7.25 | $10.25 | $3.00 |
| Class 4 | Low 5-axle and high 4-axle vehicles | $9.25 | $12.00 | $2.75 |
| Class 5 | Low 6-axle and high 5-axle vehicles | $10.75 | $13.50 | $2.75 |
| Class 6 | High 6-axle vehicles | $15.25 | $18.75 | $3.50 |
| Class 7 | All vehicles with 7 or more axles (90 ft or less in length) | $22.00 | $25.50 | $3.50 |
| Class 8 | All vehicles greater than 90 feet in length | $34.00 | $37.50 | $3.50 |
Official 2026 Schedule of Tolls fares for the Exit 173 / Exit 218 pair (45 miles). The trip crosses the Newton Falls plaza into the eastern zone; the fare is collected for the ticketed portion.
What the route looks like
From Exit 173, you head east. The first interchange is Exit 180 (SR-8, the Akron interchange, serving Hudson and Cuyahoga Falls). Then Exit 187 at Streetsboro (SR-14 / I-480) and Exit 193 at Ravenna (SR-44). Past the Brady's Leap / Portage service plazas the Turnpike runs through gently rolling Portage County farmland.
Exit 209 (SR-5) serves Warren and the upper Mahoning Valley including Niles, Howland and Cortland. The mainline passes the Newton Falls toll plaza and the Lordstown exits (215 and 216), and Exit 218 sits northwest of Youngstown where I-80 east peels off toward downtown (via I-680 south) and the eastern valley.
Free alternative: I-76 to I-680
The free alternative for Cleveland to Youngstown is I-77 or I-271 south to I-76 east through Akron, then I-680 into Youngstown. The route runs through the Akron metro area, where I-76 has lower-limit stretches and rush-hour congestion can add 10-20 minutes. Outside rush hour it is competitive; during the working day the Turnpike is typically 10-20 minutes quicker and far more predictable.
For non-rush-hour travel the time difference is small enough that some drivers take I-76 to avoid the toll. For business travel during the working day, the Turnpike's consistency (no Akron rush-hour gamble, no construction surprises, predictable 70 mph throughout) is the usual choice.
Daily commuting between Cleveland and Youngstown
For a daily commuter the math is reasonable: $7.00 round trip with E-ZPass, $1,540 a year for 220 work days (cash would be $2,200). The transponder lease fee is automatically waived because 2 trips a day clears the 30-trips-per-month waiver threshold. At 45 miles each way and 30 mpg, the commute also burns about 3 gallons of fuel per day round trip, so the toll is a meaningful but not dominant share of the trip's variable cost.
Most regular commuters on this route open an Ohio E-ZPass account specifically for the Turnpike: a $25 initial deposit per transponder plus a one-time $3 activation charge, signed up online via the Ohio Turnpike Customer Service Center.
FAQ
What is the Ohio Turnpike toll from Cleveland to Youngstown in 2026?+
Is the Ohio Turnpike faster than I-76 from Cleveland to Youngstown?+
What's at Exit 218 in Youngstown?+
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