The highway serves as an easterly bypass of the Toledo metropolitan area, passing through the communities of Northwood and Oregon.

The southern end of I-280 is an interchange in Wood County with exit  71 along the Ohio Turnpike, which carries I-80 and I-90 at this point.

[2] By this time, the I-280 designation had been added,[2] but the portion carrying I-280 was not fully converted to Interstate standards until 1990.

The removal of direct access to Hanley and Latcha was originally disputed by business owners who owned motels and gas stations along those roads.

[10] Originally, I-280 was carried across the Maumee River by the Robert Craig Memorial Bridge, a drawbridge that frequently caused backups along the route.

In addition, a ramp leading from northbound Summit Street to southbound I-280 merged directly onto the bridge with no acceleration room, so it was removed in the mid-1990s.