Official YSU Visitor's Guide

The guide contains more specific directions to the various YSU facilities, contact information, restaurant and hotel information.

Directions To Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio is located in the northeastern quarter of the state, along the Pennsylvania border. It is about half-way between Cleveland and Pittsburgh airports. Driving distance from Pittsburgh airport is approximately 56 miles...so allow about 1-hour to 1.5-hours (depending on traffic). Driving distance from the Cleveland airport is approximately 77 miles...so allow about 1.5 hours of driving time. The university is approximately 13 miles from the Youngstown-Warren airport. Directions from the airports and major highways are below. Please remember that the Ohio and PA turnpikes are toll roads and they do provide change.

From the Regional Airports

From Pittsburgh International Airport:

From Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport:

From Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport:

Official YSU Visitor's Guide

The above guide contains more specific directions to the various YSU facilities, contact information, restaurant and hotel information.

Attention football visitors: YSU is known for it's tailgating and pre-game festivities. In fact, the school has been rated the #1 at the I-AA/FCS level in two major sporting publications. So, please come early and enjoy yourself. However, it is not uncommon for there to be 10's of thousands of people on hand. Tailgate lots are $15 to park and free to walk. Please be careful and drive safely. Feel free to go to ysupenguins.com's board to ask for specifics on places to stay and things to see and do. Yes, we do have the best pizza in the US ... sorry Chicago (too thick) and NY (too thin). See below for a list of "things to see and do in Youngstown".

From the East:
(Pennsylvania) Take I-80 West to Ohio Route 193 Belmont Avenue Exit. Turn left (South) at the end of the exit ramp onto Belmont Avenue. Turn left (East) onto Gypsy Lane. Turn right (South) on Fifth Avenue to campus.

From the West:
(Akron and Columbus) Take I-71 or I-77 to I-76 East (Youngstown). Follow Youngstown signs as I-76 turns into I-80. Follow I- 80 to I-680. Take Exit 4A marked Youngstown State University. Follow the expressway and take the exit ramp marked Fifth Avenue. Proceed straight through the traffic light and along the access roadway to Fifth Avenue and campus.

From the South:
(East Liverpool, Ohio River) Take Ohio Route 11 North to I-680. Take Exit 4A marked Youngstown State University. Follow the expressway and take the exit ramp marked Fifth Avenue. Proceed straight through the traffic light and along the access roadway to Fifth Avenue and campus.

From the North:
(Cleveland & Toledo) From Cleveland Airport take I-71 South to Ohio Turnpike I-80 East. Continue on the Ohio Turnpike to Exit 15. After exiting continue to follow the signs for I-80 East. Follow I- 80 East to I-680. Take Exit 4A marked Youngstown State University. Follow the expressway and take the exit ramp marked Fifth Avenue. Proceed straight through the traffic light and along the access roadway to Fifth Avenue and campus.

Penguin Game Day Activities

Click above to see a typical fall Saturday in Youngstown

Things To Do While Visiting Youngstown

The city of Youngstown is a city located on the Mahoning River, 65 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio, and approximately 62 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the seat of Mahoning county. The greater Youngstown area has a population of 600,000 and is part of the "steel valley" region containing approximately 725,000 people in two states (OH and PA). The city is not only half-way between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, but also equidistant from Chicago and New York. Certainly visitors do not have to travel far to fine many things to do while visiting. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Nature and History:
  
  • Mill Creek Park: A visit to Ytown would not be complete with out a visit to the majestic Mill Creek Park. The park is the largest inner-city park in America, and the second-largest municipal park in the nation. To put this in perspective, the park is approximately 2600 acres, over 3-times the size of New York's famed Central Park. The park contains 20 miles of drives, and 15 miles of foot trails, and a rare collection of gardens, streams, lakes, woodlands, meadows and wildlife for all to enjoy. In addition to numerous historical buildings, visitors will find a wide range of recreational opportunities such as hiking, biking, picnicking, boating, Par-3, or championship golf, tennis, volleyball and more. In fact, the park contains two 18-hole courses that are the home to the YSU Penguin golf and cross-country teams. A few of the park's entrances are just minutes the university.
    
  • Museum of Labor and Industry: The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor provides a dramatic overview of the impact of the iron and steel industry on Youngstown and other Mahoning Valley communities. Objects on display range from workers' tools and clothing to "last heats," the last batches of steel produced at each of the mills before they closed. Hundreds of photographs, some more than 30 feet long, are used throughout the museum.
    
  • The Cleveland Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, and Akron Zoo are with in an hour of Youngstown.
    
  • Car enthusiasts will know that Youngstown/Warren is the home of the famous Packard Automobiles.The National Packard Museum contains many beautifully restored and original Packard vehicles.
    
    
• Sports:
  
  • Certainly you are here to visit YSU Penguins, or one of their opponents. However, Youngstown is currently home to the Mahoning Valley Thunder of af2. The current minor league baseball team just outside of the city is the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, which are the single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Scrappers compete in the New York-Penn League and share their stadium with the YSU Penguins at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.
    
  • Of course, the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are all relatively short drives away.
    
  • About a 30-minute trip to Canton will take visitors to the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame.
    
    
• Museums:
  
  • Youngstown is the home of several museums. The Butler Institute of American Art, located within walking distance of the university sports facilities, on Wick Avenue is the first, and foremost museum in the nation, dedicated exclusively to American Art.
    
  • The Historical Center of Industry & Labor is above.
    
  • Within walking distance of the university is the Arms Family Museum of Local History. The museum is housed in a 1905 mansion, once the estate of a local industrialist, the museum maintains period rooms that showcase the original contents of the household, including furnishings, art objects, and personal artifacts. The museum also mounts rotating exhibits on topics related to local history.

Thanks for coming and we hope you enjoy your visit. See you at the game!