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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Newark, Ohio
Newark
Give Newark one full day for the Hopewell earthworks and The Works, or skip it unless you are already in Greater Columbus with a car.
Newark is the seat of Licking County, about 40 mi (64 km) east of Columbus on SR 16/79. It is a small industrial city of roughly 50,000 people whose main draw is the Newark Earthworks, part of the UNESCO-listed Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, plus a compact downtown museum and theatre. There is no passenger train and no scheduled air service, so a car is the practical way in. Most travellers see it as a half-day or day trip from Columbus, not a base.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Newark
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, ice on trails), Jul–Aug (humid)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–16 |
| Pizza or casual lunch | $12–20 |
| Sit-down dinner, before tax and tip | $18–35 |
| Draught beer | $6–9 |
| Museum entry (The Works) | $10–15 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CMH · John Glenn Columbus International
- Nearest airport with scheduled service; about 45–60 min by car via I-70 east and SR 79 north
- KVTA · Newark-Heath Airport
- Civil aviation only; no scheduled passenger flights
Typical fares
- CMH → downtown Newark, taxi or rideshare
- $55–80, about 45–60 min (check)
- Rental car, one day
- $45–110 plus fuel (check)
- Downtown parking
- often free or a few dollars per hour (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is the practical choice: the earthworks, arboretum and gorge are spread out and bus coverage is thin. Downtown Newark is walkable once parked, and the Thomas Evans Bike Trail links the city with Granville. Rideshare exists but wait times can be long outside the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Newark Earthworks (Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, UNESCO)
- The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology
- Dawes Arboretum
- Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | I-70 east to SR 79 north, or SR 161 east to SR 16 | About 45–60 min |
| Granville | SR 16 west, or the Thomas Evans Bike Trail | About 15–20 min by car |
| Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve | SR 16 east, then Gratiot Rd SE | About 20–25 min |
| Dawes Arboretum | SR 13 south toward Jacksontown | About 20 min |
| Flint Ridge State Memorial | SR 668 southeast of the city | About 30 min |
| Buckeye Lake | SR 79 south | About 25–30 min |
Sleep
- Downtown Newark
- Walkable to The Works, the Midland Theatre and the Licking County Library; the DoubleTree is here.
- Cherry Valley / SR 16 east
- Highway-side hotels with parking, a short drive from downtown and closer to the eastern earthworks.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this the way to the earthworks? | Is this the way to the earthworks? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No passenger train or scheduled bus serves Newark: Greyhound stops in Columbus and Zanesville only.
- The Octagon Earthworks sit inside a golf course with limited public access; check current visiting arrangements before you drive out.
- Some earthwork remnants are viewed from nearby streets rather than from a formal entrance.
- Summer heat and humidity are real; carry water on the gorge and arboretum trails.
Newark is a small city with ordinary US crime patterns: downtown and the museum district are fine in daylight, and it is worth locking the car and avoiding unlit trailheads after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Newark, Ohio yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Newark Earthworks (Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, UNESCO)
- The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology
- Dawes Arboretum
- Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Explore Licking County — official visitor site: www.explorelc.org/
- Ohio History Connection — Newark Earthworks: www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/newark-earthworks/
- The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology: www.attheworks.org/
- Licking County Library — downtown Newark: www.lickingcountylibrary.org/locations/downtown-newark/
- Wikivoyage: Newark (Ohio), revision 5276585 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5276585
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Newark, OhioNewark
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Newark; consulates and national embassies are in Washington, DC and New York, with some consulates in Columbus (check).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants and $1–2 a drink.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/newark-ohio). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.