# U.S. Route 23 in Ohio

U.S. Route 23 (US 23) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the state of Ohio, it is a major north–south state highway that runs from the Kentucky border at Portsmouth to the Michigan border at Sylvania.

## Route description

The route crosses over the Ohio River via the U.S. Grant Bridge into the city of Portsmouth. Through downtown Portsmouth, it follows parallel one-way streets; northbound traffic is on Gay Street and southbound on Chillicothe Street. These roads merge into Scioto Trail, which becomes a divided highway north of Rosemount, and again north of Lucasville, through Piketon to just south of Waverly.
Within Waverly, the route runs concurrently with State Route 104 (SR 104), in addition to a four-block concurrency with SR 335 that ends in downtown Waverly. The concurrency with SR 104 ends just south of Chillicothe at which point US 23 becomes an expressway. The route bypasses Chillicothe to the east, including a short concurrency with US 35 before once again becoming a divided highway near Kingston. It continues as such through Circleville to the southern edge of Columbus, at the southern junction of Interstate 270 (I-270).

### Columbus

In downtown Columbus, the route is applied to a one-way pair. It first jogs easterly via Livingston Avenue (north) and Fulton Street (south) before continuing northerly with northbound traffic on Fourth Street and southbound traffic on Third Street, which becomes Summit Street north of Fifth Avenue. The one-way pair ends at Hudson Street on the border of the SoHud and Glen Echo neighborhoods; both directions of US 23 jog westerly onto Hudson Street before continuing northerly on Indianola Avenue, closely paralleling I-71. The route then moves westerly again via Morse Road, then north again onto High Street on the north edge of the East Beechwold neighborhood. North of the northern junction with I-270, High Street becomes Columbus Pike.
The section immediately north of the northern junction with I-270 was upgraded with a northbound-only set of express lanes which passes under Dimension Drive, Campus View Boulevard, Radio City Boulevard, and Flint Road, with the former alignment of US 23 providing access to those roads. This configuration, known as the "Trench", opened to traffic in September 2015, and its construction coincides with a reconfiguration of the I-270 exit. After the Trench, US 23 leaves Columbus heading north.

### North of Columbus

Heading north, US 23 becomes a four-lane road with a grass median, intersections at street level, and numerous public and private driveways. Starting at a short concurrency with US 42 south of Delaware, the route becomes a freeway through downtown Delaware, intersecting with US 36 and ending the concurrency with US 42. North of downtown Delaware, US 23 becomes a five-lane road, with a center lane dedicated for left-hand turns, from both directions. When it reaches the Delaware Dam and Delaware State Park south of Waldo, a grass median returns. From Waldo to southwest of Carey, the route is an expressway, all intersections with numbered U.S. and state routes are Interstate-style interchanges, while most county and local streets that intersect, are at street level and unsignaled. US 23 bypasses Waldo, Marion, and Upper Sandusky to the east. To the east and north of Upper Sandusky, US 23 runs concurrently with US 30 for about 10 miles (16 km). Southwest of Carey the route then departs the expressway passing through Carey, running concurrently with SR 103 while the expressway continues westerly as SR 15. Within Carey, the concurrency with SR 103 ends, and a concurrency with SR 199 begins. The two cosigned routes continue as a rural highway to Fostoria.
Within Fostoria, US 23 runs concurrently with SR 18 while turning westerly along Lytle Street, then northerly along the Midblock Underpass in concurrency with SR 12. At the northern end of the expressway, SR 12 departs while US 23, still concurrent with SR 18/SR 199, continues westerly along South Street, then northerly along County Line Street. SR 18/SR 199 departs within Fostoria city limits, while US 23 continues northerly and becomes Fostoria Road. Northeast of Bradner, the route has a junction with US 6.
Northwest of Woodville, the route runs concurrently with US 20; the highway continues northwesterly to Perrysburg. There, US 23 begins a brief wrong-way concurrency with I-75, then departs for a concurrency with I-475, the western bypass of the Toledo metropolitan area. US 23 and I-475 run concurrently for the latter route's entire north–south portion, until I-475 departs in Sylvania to become an east–west aligned route. US 23 then continues northerly into Michigan as a freeway.

## History

Before the establishment of the U.S. Numbered Highway System in 1926, the route of what would eventually become US 23 was numbered as SR 4 from Portsmouth to Marion; SR 22 from Marion to Carey; SR 63 from Carey to Fostoria; SR 199 from Fostoria to Millbury; and SR 2 from Millbury to Toledo. Over the years, portions of US 23 have been realigned to divided highway, freeway, or expressway portions. Among these are a bypass of Circleville built in 1958; the Marion–Carey expressway routing, on which work began in 1962; and a bypass of Chillicothe, on which work began in 1966.
When first established, US 23 followed its current routing from Fostoria to Woodville, then continued north along present-day Fostoria Road into Millbury and northwest along present-day SR 51 (Woodville Road) into East Toledo. There, it followed East Broadway Avenue, Starr Avenue, and Main Street to the Cherry Street Bridge (now the Martin Luther King Bridge) across the Maumee River. The route then followed Cherry Street (present-day SR 120) to Detroit Avenue (US 24), before turning west onto Laskey Road and north onto Lewis Avenue. Only a year later, the Fostoria–Toledo routing was shifted westerly, taking a northwest–southeast route that was originally designated SR 63 between Fostoria and Perrysburg, then East River Road into Toledo. It crossed the Maumee River via the Fassett Street Bridge, then followed South, Sumner, Logan, Summit, and Huron streets to rejoin its original routing. The Fostoria–Millbury routing was designated SR 199, and the Millbury–Toledo routing became SR 102, which in turn became present-day SR 51 in 1955. By 1940, US 23 was shifted westerly again in Toledo, taking the Anthony Wayne Bridge to Summit Street, then to Jefferson Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard before rejoining the previous routing.
US 23 was realigned c. 1960 to follow Monroe Street northwesterly out of Toledo, joining with the first constructed segment of its current freeway routing in Sylvania. The freeway was extended southerly to US 20 (Central Avenue) by 1964.
By 1969, the entire western freeway bypass of Toledo was complete, carrying the current routings of both US 23 and I-475. In addition, US 23 and SR 199 were swapped north of Fostoria in 1969, as US 23 reverted to its pre-1927 routing between Fostoria and Woodville, then running concurrently with US 20 from there to Perrysburg. The 1927–1969 routing of US 23 between Fostoria and Perrysburg thus became part of SR 199.
A plan was proposed by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in July 2020 to improve safety along US 23 in Wyandot County by reconfiguring several intersections and closing others to eliminate cross traffic and turns across opposing traffic for the stretch of US 23 between the interchange at SR 231 in Marion County and the interchange at SR 199 south of Upper Sandusky. After public comments, the proposal was revised to drop one intersection from the plan over concerns about the impact on emergency services. The rest of the plan was rejected by the Wyandot County Commission in May 2021 because of the impacts on the community and the community's preference for an interchange at SR 294.
Weigh stations were once located on US 23 just north of the split with US 35, but they were decommissioned and later converted into truck parking in 2023. Ross County had wanted the space to be utilized into a full interchange with Marietta and Seney Roads as a part of their 2008 Thoroughfare Plan.

## Future

North of Upper Sandusky in Salem Township, Wyandot County, there have been a number of serious crashes at the intersection with County Road 44 and Township Road 44 from 2016 to 2021. To improve its safety, beginning April 11, 2022, ODOT will convert the intersection to a pair of right-in/right-outs and close the median crossover. Once this conversion is completed, the stretch of US 23 from SR 199 south of Upper Sandusky, through this junction, will be free of cross traffic and turns across opposing traffic.
A new project has been initiated by ODOT to complete a study of the US 23 corridor between the village of Waldo and I-270. The goal of this project is to create a free-flow connection between Columbus and Toledo as part of a possible extension of I-73. Some of the alternatives to be explored include upgrading the existing alignment or creating new corridors to US 33 to the west or I-71 to the east of the current corridor. There are no plans to sign this as an Interstate Highway at this time. However, there has a renewed push for the extension of both I-73 and I-74 in the state since 2022.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Ohio River | Ohio River | 0.00 | 0.00 | | US 23 south (Country Music Highway) | Continuation into Kentucky |
| U.S. Grant Bridge; Kentucky–Ohio state line ||
| Scioto | Portsmouth | 0.45 | 0.72 | | SR 73 west / SR 104 north / Ohio River Scenic Byway Alt. east (US 23 Bus. north) / US 23 north | Southern end of southbound SR 73/SR 104/ORB Alt. concurrency; eastern terminus of SR 73; southern terminus of SR 104; southern terminus of US 23 Bus. |
| Scioto | Portsmouth | 0.56 | 0.90 | | SR 73 / Ohio River Scenic Byway Alt. west / SR 104 north (2nd Street west) | Northern end of southbound SR 73/SR 104/ORB Alt. concurrency |
| Scioto | Portsmouth | 0.99 | 1.59 | | US 23 Bus. south (Chillicothe Street south) | Northern terminus of US 23 Bus.; no access from US 23 north (Gay Street) |
| Scioto | Portsmouth | 1.06 | 1.71 | | US 52 / Ohio River Scenic Byway east / US 23 Truck (11th Street) | One-way street; northern terminus of US 23 Truck |
| Scioto | Portsmouth | 1.13 | 1.82 | | US 52 / Ohio River Scenic Byway west / US 23 Truck south (12th Street) to SR 73 west / SR 104 north | One-way street |
| Scioto | Lucasville | 11.43 | 18.39 | | SR 728 east (Lucasville-Minford Road) / SR 348 west – Otway | Eastern terminus of SR 348; western terminus of SR 728 |
| Scioto | Lucasville | 11.92 | 19.18 | | SR 823 – Ironton | Interchange |
| Pike | Scioto Township | 20.63 | 33.20 | | American Centrifuge Facility | Half-folded diamond interchange; access to Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant |
| Pike | Seal Township | 23.08 | 37.14 | | SR 32 / SR 124 – Jackson, Cincinnati | Diamond interchange |
| Pike | Waverly | | | | Pride Drive (SR 220 Truck) | Southern end of SR 220 Truck concurrency |
| Pike | Waverly | 28.53 | 45.91 | | SR 104 south (Lake White Road) | Southern end of SR 104 concurrency |
| Pike | Waverly | 29.17 | 46.94 | | SR 220 (Market Street) / SR 220 Truck ends / SR 335 begins | Southern end of SR 335 concurrency; northern end of SR 220 Truck concurrency; northern terminus of SR 220 Truck; counterclockwise terminus of SR 335 |
| Pike | Waverly | 29.52 | 47.51 | | SR 335 east (Clough Street) | Northern end of SR 335 concurrency |
| Ross | Franklin Township | 35.63 | 57.34 | | SR 372 east (Stoney Creek Road) | |
| Ross | Scioto Township | 41.40 | 66.63 | 41 | US 23 Bus. / SR 104 north (Bridge Street) / Three Locks Road | Northern end of SR 104 concurrency; southern end of freeway; US 23 Bus, not signed southbound |
| Ross | Scioto Township | 43.22 | 69.56 | 43A | US 50 (Eastern Avenue) to US 35 east | |
| Ross | Scioto Township | 43.70 | 70.33 | 43B | US 35 / US 50 east – Jackson, Athens | Southern end of US 35 concurrency; southbound left exit and northbound entrance |
| Ross | Scioto Township | 44.98 | 72.39 | 44 | Main Street to US 50 west – Chillicothe | |
| Ross | Scioto Township | 46.02 | 74.06 | 46 | US 35 west – Dayton | Northern end of US 35 concurrency; northbound left exit and southbound entrance |
| Ross | Springfield Township | 48.78 | 78.50 | 48 | US 23 Bus. south / SR 159 (Bridge Street) – Kingston, Chillicothe | Serves Adena Regional Medical Center; US 23 Bus. not signed northbound |
| Ross | Green Township | 50.78 | 81.72 | 50 | SR 207 north | Northern end of freeway |
| Pickaway | Pickaway Township | 57.24 | 92.12 | | SR 361 east | |
| Pickaway | Circleville | 63.92 | 102.87 | | US 22 / SR 56 – Circleville, Washington Court House | Five-ramp partial cloverleaf; northbound exit via Mound Street |
| Pickaway | South Bloomfield | 72.14 | 116.10 | | SR 316 east (Ashville Road) – Ashville | Southern end of SR 316 concurrency |
| Pickaway | South Bloomfield | 72.42 | 116.55 | | SR 316 west (North Street) | Northern end of SR 316 concurrency |
| Pickaway | South Bloomfield | 72.75 | 117.08 | | SR 752 east | |
| Pickaway | Harrison Township | 76.24 | 122.70 | | SR 762 – Commercial Point | |
| Franklin | Hamilton Township | 80.37 | 129.34 | | SR 665 west / SR 317 east – Groveport, Rickenbacker Airport | |
| Franklin | Hamilton Township | 83.36– 83.39 | 134.15– 134.20 | 83 | I-270 (Columbus Bypass) to I-71 | Interchange; signed as exits 83A (east) and 83B (west) southbound; I-270 exit 52 |
| Franklin | Columbus | 86.28 | 138.85 | | SR 104 north to US 33 SR 104 south to I-71 | Interchange; SR 104 exit 91 |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.04– 89.13 | 143.30– 143.44 | | I-70 / I-71 | Interchange; northbound entrance only; I-70 exit 100B; to be replaced by new interchange north of freeway |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.04– 89.13 | 143.30– 143.44 | | US 33 (3rd Street) | Southern end of northbound US 33 east concurrency; one-way street, inbound access only from US 33 |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.04– 89.13 | 143.30– 143.44 | | US 33 east (Livingston Avenue east) | Northern end of northbound US 33 east concurrency; southern end of US 33 west concurrency |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.13 | 143.44 | | I-71 south / I-70 west | I-70 exit 100B |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.13 | 143.44 | | I-70 east – Wheeling | Future off-ramp to replace old ramp south of freeway |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.13 | 143.44 | | I-70 / I-71 | Future on-ramp to replace old ramp south of freeway; access from I-70 east/I-71 north only |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.32 | 143.75 | | US 62 / SR 3 north (Main Street) to I-71 north | Southern end of US 62/SR 3 concurrency; one-way street |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.41 | 143.89 | | US 62 / SR 3 south (Rich Street) to SR 315 | One-way street, outbound access only to US 62/SR 3 |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.75 | 144.44 | | US 62 north / US 40 / SR 16 (Broad Street) | Northern end of US 62 concurrency |
| Franklin | Columbus | 89.95 | 144.76 | | US 33 (Long Street) / SR 3 north (Long Street east) | One-way street, inbound access only from US 33 |
| Franklin | Columbus | 90.04 | 144.91 | | US 33 west / SR 3 south (Spring Street) | Northern end of US 33 west/SR 3 concurrency; one-way street |
| Franklin | Columbus | | | | Convention Center Parking | Southbound exit and entrance only; interchange |
| Franklin | Columbus | 90.66 | 145.90 | | I-670 to I-71 – Dayton, Airport | I-670 exit 4 |
| Franklin | Worthington | 99.66 | 160.39 | | SR 161 (Dublin Granville Road) | |
| Franklin | Worthington | 101.23 | 162.91 | 101A | I-270 east to I-71 | Interchange; I-270 exit 23; SR 315 exit 12A; no exit number southbound; consolidated into one single exit southbound |
| Franklin | Worthington | 101.23 | 162.91 | 101B | I-270 west / SR 315 | Interchange; I-270 exit 23; SR 315 exit 12A; no exit number southbound; consolidated into one single exit southbound |
| Franklin | Flint | 101.69– 101.97 | 163.65– 164.10 | | Campus View Boulevard / Flint Road | Interchange northbound via local lanes; at-grade intersections southbound |
| Delaware | Orange Township | 104.36 | 167.95 | | SR 750 – Powell, Columbus Zoo | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 111.74 | 179.83 | | SR 315 south (Olentangy River Road) | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 113.36– 113.60 | 182.44– 182.82 | | US 42 south | Southern end of US 42 concurrency; partial interchange via connector road; serves Delaware Municipal Airport; southern end of freeway |
| Delaware | Delaware | 114.86 | 184.85 | 114 | US 42 north / US 36 (William Street) to SR 37 | Northern end of US 42 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| Delaware | Delaware | 115.09 | 185.22 | 115 | SR 37 (Central Avenue) to US 42 north / US 36 | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Delaware | Delaware | 115.96 | 186.62 | | N. Sandusky Street | Partial interchange via northbound entrance ramp and at-grade intersection; former incomplete full interchange with southbound exit; northern end of freeway |
| Delaware | Marlboro Township | 124.39 | 200.19 | | SR 229 – Norton, Ashley | |
| Marion | Waldo | 126.35 | 203.34 | 126 | SR 98 – Waldo, Bucyrus | Interchange; access to SR 47 and SR 423 |
| Marion | Richland–Pleasant township line | | | | Newmans-Cardington Road | At-grade intersection; southern end of freeway |
| Marion | Marion Township | 134.56 | 216.55 | 134 | SR 95 – Marion, Mount Gilead | |
| Marion | Marion Township | 135.57 | 218.18 | 135 | SR 309 – Marion, Galion | |
| Marion | Marion Township | 137.14 | 220.71 | 137 | Marion-Williamsport Road | |
| Marion | Grand Prairie Township | | | | Linn Hipsher Road (CR 195) | At-grade intersection; northern end of freeway |
| Marion | Grand Prairie Township | 140.64 | 226.34 | 140 | SR 4 – Bucyrus | Interchange |
| Marion | Grand Prairie Township | 143.52 | 230.97 | 143 | SR 231 – Morral, Nevada | Interchange |
| Wyandot | Pitt Township | 148.00 | 238.18 | | SR 294 – Harpster | |
| Wyandot | Pitt Township | 151.68 | 244.11 | — | SR 199 | Southern end of freeway; southern terminus of SR 199 |
| Wyandot | Crane Township | 153.81– 153.86 | 247.53– 247.61 | — | US 30 east – Bucyrus, Mansfield | Southern end of US 30 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky | 155.48 | 250.22 | — | CR 330 (E. Wyandot Avenue) – Upper Sandusky | Northern end of freeway |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky | 158.17 | 254.55 | — | SR 53 / SR 67 – Upper Sandusky, Tiffin | Southern end of freeway |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky | 159.42 | 256.56 | — | SR 199 – Upper Sandusky | |
| Wyandot | Salem Township | 159.82– 160.54 | 257.21– 258.36 | — | US 30 west – Van Wert | Northern end of US 30 concurrency; left exit and entrance northbound |
| Wyandot | Salem Township | 161.599 | 260.068 | | CR 44 | At-grade intersection; northern end of freeway; scheduled to become a pair of RIROs April 2022 |
| Wyandot | Crawford Township | 167.353– 167.62 | 269.329– 269.76 | | SR 15 west to I-75 – Findlay, Toledo SR 103 west | Interchange; eastern terminus of SR 15; southern end of SR 103 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Carey | 168.82 | 271.69 | | SR 103 east / SR 199 south (E. Findlay Street) / SR 568 west (W. Findlay Street) | Northern end of SR 103 concurrency; southern end of SR 199 concurrency |
| Seneca | Loudon Township | 178.20 | 286.79 | | US 224 – Findlay, Tiffin | |
| Seneca | Fostoria | 182.99– 183.00 | 294.49– 294.51 | | SR 18 east | Southern end of SR 18 concurrency |
| Seneca | Fostoria | 183.51 | 295.33 | | SR 12 west | Southern end of SR 12 concurrency |
| Seneca | Fostoria | 183.81 | 295.81 | | SR 12 east | Northern end of SR 12 concurrency |
| Seneca–Hancock county line | Fostoria | 184.33 | 296.65 | | SR 18 (North Street) / SR 613 west | Northern end of SR 18 concurrency; eastern terminus of SR 613 |
| Seneca–Wood county line | Fostoria | 185.26 | 298.15 | | SR 199 north | Northern end of SR 199 concurrency |
| Wood–Sandusky county line | Montgomery–Freedom– Madison–Scott township quadripoint | 196.95 | 316.96 | | US 6 – Bowling Green, Fremont | |
| Wood–Sandusky county line | Freedom–Madison township line | 199.95 | 321.79 | | SR 600 east – Gibsonburg | Western terminus of SR 600 |
| Wood–Sandusky county line | Freedom–Madison township line | 202.81 | 326.39 | | SR 105 – Woodville, Pemberville | |
| Wood–Sandusky county line | Troy–Woodville township line | 204.40 | 328.95 | | SR 582 east | Southern end of SR 582 concurrency |
| Wood–Sandusky county line | Troy–Woodville township line | 204.44 | 329.01 | | SR 582 west | Northern end of SR 582 concurrency |
| Wood–Sandusky county line | Troy–Woodville township line | 205.95 | 331.44 | | US 20 east – Woodville, Fremont | Southern end of US 20 concurrency |
| Wood | Troy Township | 208.25– 208.82 | 335.15– 336.06 | 81 | Pemberville Road / SR 420 north to I-280 – Toledo | Exit number follows US 20; to Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90); signed as exits 81A (SR 420) and 81B (Pemberville Road) |
| Wood | Lemoyne | | | | Lemoyne Road | Interchange via connector roads |
| Wood | Stony Ridge | 211.10 | 339.73 | | SR 163 east | Western terminus of SR 163 |
| Wood | Perrysburg | 217.18 | 349.52 | | I-75 north / US 20 west – Toledo, Perrysburg | Northern end of US 20 concurrency; eastern end of I-75 concurrency; southern end of freeway section; I-75 exit 193 |
| Wood | Perrysburg | 219.03– 219.40 | 352.49– 353.09 | 1A | I-75 south / I-475 begins – Dayton | Western end of I-75 concurrency; southern end of I-475 concurrency; exit numbers follow I-475; I-75 exit 192 |
| Wood | Perrysburg | 219.03– 219.40 | 352.49– 353.09 | 2 | SR 25 – Bowling Green, Perrysburg | |
| Lucas | Maumee | 222.74 | 358.47 | 4 | US 24 (Anthony Wayne Trail) – Napoleon, Maumee | |
| Lucas | Monclova Township | 224.72 | 361.65 | 6 | Salisbury Road, Dussel Drive | Provides a connection to I-80/I-90 (Ohio Turnpike); opened 1989 |
| Lucas | Springfield Township | 226.89 | 365.14 | 8 | SR 2 (Airport Highway) – Toledo Express Airport, Swanton, Toledo | Signed as exits 8A (east) and 8B (west) southbound |
| Lucas | Sylvania Township | 231.81 | 373.06 | 13 | US 20 / SR 120 (Central Avenue) | |
| Lucas | Sylvania Township | 231.98 | 373.34 | 232 | I-475 east – Toledo | Northern end of I-475 concurrency; exit numbers follow US 23; left exit southbound; I-475 exit 14 |
| Lucas | Sylvania | 234.18 | 376.88 | 234 | US 223 north / SR 51 – Sylvania | Southern end of US 223 concurrency; to SR 184 |
| Lucas | Sylvania | 234.83 | 377.92 | | US 23 north / US 223 north – Ann Arbor | Continuation into Michigan |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Unopened |||||||