St. Louis to Baltimore
In 1994 a friend of ours was going to drive from St. Louis to Baltimore, and wanted to know how long it would take. Here is a plan for such a drive.
Thursday
9:00 am. leave St. Louis. Take I-70 towards Indianapolis
11:05 am. stop for a short rest in Effingham, Illinois
12:30 pm. Lunch in Terre Haute, buy gas there too. For diversion, drive three miles north of I-70 on US 41 (3rd Street) to drive past historic City Hall.
1:10 pm. leave Terre Haute on I-70 towards Indianapolis
2:30 reach I-465 (stay on I-70 east through Indianapolis, it will join I-65 north for a short distance near downtown). For a diversion, you might leave the interstate freeway to drive around downtown Indianapolis and admire the war memorial circle at the center of the city. I lived in Indianapolis from late 1973 to 1982, and could tell you a lot about the town.
3:30 leave Indianapolis on I-70 eastbound towards Columbus, OH.
5:00pm Cross into Ohio. Set watches ahead one hour to eastern time zone.
8:00 pm (local time, 7:00 in St. Louis) Stop in Columbus, Ohio for dinner.
8:30 pm Continue on I-70 east through Columbus, through eastern Ohio towards Wheeling, WV.
10:45 pm, cross Ohio River into Wheeling, West Virgina.
Thursday night hotel options:
Wheeling, WV. Exit I-70 at exit #11 (Dallas Pike). Look for Comfort Inn (phone 304-547-1380. Guaranteed rates of $37 to $45.
Washington, PN. 40 minutes east of Wheeling on I-70. Take exit 7S (US 19) south from I-70 about half a mile to Knights Inn. Should cost $35 to $45.
In Washington, PN you can leave I-70 at exit 4 to take US 40 east. You’ll find a Red Roof Inn there. Prices should be between $40 and $50.
Friday
.Morning, after breakfast, take I-70 to Washington (if you haven’t already done so).
9:45 am. Leave Washington, PN on US 40 heading southeast towards Uniontown.
10:30 am. enjoy scenic overlook at pass just south of Uniontown.
10:45 am. Stop at Fort Necessity National Battlefield for historic visit.
11:30 am. Leave Ft. Necessity and continue on US 40 southeast.
12:00 noon. Get on I-68 eastbound in Maryland. Towards Cumberland, Hagerstown, and Baltimore.
12:30 pm. Stop in Cumberland for lunch.
1:00 pm. leave Cumberland east on I-68
2:30 pm. drive through Hagerstown. I-68 becomes I-70 and goes south towards Frederick.
3:00 pm. Frederick. Stay on I-70 east towards Baltimore.
4:00 pm. Arrive in Baltimore.
See city maps of Baltimore to find your way there.
The best thing to see in Baltimore is Walters Art Gallery. If you arrive at 4:00 you will still have one hour to see it before it closes. Bring your student ID to get in free. Don’t miss the Roman and ancient collections. The second-best thing to see is the National Aquarium. On Fridays it’s open until 8:00, so you can see it after a short visit to the Walters Art Gallery.
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