America 250-Ohio’s Transportation Trail Seeks Your Submission
Ohio’s transportation history spans various transportation types and innovations, from railroads and airplanes to the invention of the first traffic signal. Air, ground, and water have all served as critical transportation routes across Ohio, and each mode has specialized vehicles to transport goods, ideas, and people. Beyond vehicles, Ohio has served as a central point in many transportation routes, from the railroads to the National Road. As “The Heart of it All,” America’s transportation story would be incomplete without Ohio.
To showcase these stories and inspire travel throughout the state, America 250-Ohio (in partnership with the Ohio Travel Association) is curating a driving trail called the Ohio Transportation Trail.
This is the fifth statewide trail project launched by America 250-Ohio. It joins the Ohio Air & Space Trail, the Ohio Creativity Trail, the Lake Erie to Ohio River Trail, and the Ohio Innovation Trail. These four trails have already captured the hearts and attention of Ohioans and others, with more than 100 million impressions generated by dozens of media stories thus far.
Deadline for submission is February 2, 2026
Criteria Used for Consideration:
The scope of the Ohio Transportation Trail is to create a driving trail connecting places where visitors can learn more about transportation vehicles, inventions, and stories from, and associated with, Ohio. As this is a tourism-based project designed to encourage people to spend time in our communities and visit our museums and businesses, submitted sites must meet the following criteria. Submissions are evaluated based on their ability to meet the expectations below:
- Accessibility – Is the site open to walk-in visitors during consistent and regular hours? Is there parking? Is the schedule posted? If you are relying on call-ahead access, tours must be open to the public and posted on your website with an easy booking process.
- Relevancy – Does the site interpret a story that directly relates to how Ohio transportation shaped the future of state and national industry, culture, and opportunities?
- Visitor Experience – Is that story told on-site either through regular tours open to the public or exhibits one can easily find when stopping by the site? Is there signage directing visitors to where they can experience the story? The scope of this project is to create a trail where visitors to and through Ohio can stop and spend an hour or two at each site, learning more while being engaged in the story.
Tips Before You Submit:
Before you start the submission process, consider how your site contributes to the story of how Ohio’s transportation history shaped the future of Ohio and United States. Just to get you started, here are some storylines to consider.
- Creation of Airplanes
- Evolution of Space Travel
- Automobile Innovations
- Introduction of Railroads
- Boat Travel and Shipping
- Bicycle and Motorcycle Popularity and Ohio’s Role
- Early Roads and Key Transportation Routes
- Quirky Transportation Stories (e.g. Soap Box Derby, cardboard boats)
Join us for a Q&A Zoom Call – January 8, 2026 – 11:00 a.m.
If you plan to join us for the Q&A Zoom all – you must register to receive the link.
Register Here for the Q&A Session:
Questions?
Questions can also be sent to Haley Martin (America 250-Ohio Trails & Tales Project Coordinator) at haley@ohiotravel.org.