The fair place to meet is Indianapolis, IN — the city closest to the midpoint of Chicago and Columbus. From the farther side that’s about 3 hr 31 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Indianapolis, IN
From Chicago
3 hr 27 min
165 mi to Indianapolis
From Columbus
3 hr 31 min
168 mi to Indianapolis
That’s an even split — both sides drive within 4 min of each other. Chicago and Columbus are about 276 miles apart.
Chicago and Columbus are about 276 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Indianapolis, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That splits the trip almost evenly — about 3 hr 27 min from Chicago and 3 hr 31 min from Columbus.
At this range, Indianapolis works for a same-day meetup: close enough from both Chicago and Columbus to meet for lunch or an afternoon and still be home by evening.
If Indianapolis doesn't have what you're after, Cincinnati and Detroit are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Chicago and Columbus.
Indianapolis, colloquially known as Indy, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County. Indianapolis is situated in the state's central till plain region along the west fork of the White River. Read more →
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. Read more →
Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a population of 905,748 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., second-most populous city in the Midwest, and third-most populous U.S. state capital. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.