Milwaukee · the midpoint
Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan at the confluence of the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers. Read more →
Meet halfway between Columbus and Minneapolis
The fair place to meet is Milwaukee, WI — the city closest to the midpoint of Columbus and Minneapolis. From the farther side that’s about 6 hr 57 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Milwaukee, WI
From Columbus
6 hr 57 min
331 mi to Milwaukee
From Minneapolis
6 hr 15 min
298 mi to Milwaukee
Minneapolis has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 42 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Columbus and Minneapolis are about 627 miles apart.
More meetups from Columbus
Meeting in Milwaukee
Columbus and Minneapolis are about 627 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Milwaukee, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 6 hr 57 min of driving on the Columbus side and 6 hr 15 min on the Minneapolis side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Milwaukee suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Milwaukee doesn't have what you're after, Chicago and Indianapolis are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Columbus and Minneapolis.
About the cities
Columbus
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 →
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 census, it is the state's most populous city. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Questions
- Where is the halfway point between Columbus and Minneapolis?
- Milwaukee, WI is closest to the geographic midpoint, which makes it the fairest place to meet.
- How far apart are they?
- About 627 miles by road.
- How long is the drive to meet in the middle?
- Roughly 6 hr 57 min from the farther city to Milwaukee.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.