If you are heading anywhere near Ohio State's campus on Sunday, plan on traffic moving at diploma pace. The noon spring commencement ceremony is set to honor nearly 12,000 graduates and pull roughly 60,000 people into the Horseshoe and surrounding parking lots. That kind of crowd routinely clogs the west-side corridor and streets around campus, so drivers should budget extra time for parking, shuttles and jammed surface roads.
Shuttles, gates and when to show up
Ohio State will run complimentary shuttle buses from designated West Campus lots starting at 9 a.m., with service continuing until about an hour after the noon ceremony wraps. Stadium gates are scheduled to open at 10 a.m., giving families a two-hour window to filter into the Shoe and find their seats. Full guidance is posted on Ohio State's commencement site.
Where traffic will be the worst
Expect the biggest slowdowns along the SR-315 corridor and at the Lane Avenue and Ackerman Road exits, with additional congestion likely on High Street, Olentangy River Road and Neil Avenue from late morning into early afternoon, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Rideshare pickup has been shifted to Neil Avenue at 19th Avenue, while drop-offs are set at the Schottenstein Center. Some attendees are being directed to shuttle or walk from nearby Coffey Road fields, which sit about a half-mile away, roughly a 10-minute walk, so build that into your schedule.
Parking and accessibility
Guests are encouraged to use West Campus lots and hop on the complimentary shuttles. The Arps, Ohio Union, Neil Avenue and Lane Avenue garages will also be open at no charge on commencement day. Disability parking is concentrated in the East Stadium lot, and Guest Services stations will operate near Sections 14 and 15 inside the stadium to assist those with mobility needs. For a full lot assignment and overview, check the parking map from Ohio State.
How to avoid the worst of it
If you can, steer clear of the 315 corridor in the late morning and consider public transit or parking on the far side of campus, then riding the shuttle in. Before you leave, check real-time speeds and incident reports on the state's OHGO traffic page so you can pick the least-clogged route. If you are using a rideshare app, expect drivers to be routed to the designated pickup and drop-off zones instead of closer curbside spots.
The safest bet is to arrive early, build plenty of margin into your day and treat the post-ceremony crawl out of the stadium as the unofficial last act. With shuttles, free garages and extra staff in place, the whole operation will go a lot smoother if guests show up prepared and patient.
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