Allentown, PA to Maple Glen, PA is 278.6 miles and takes about 5h 29m via Pennsylvania Turnpike, I 81, with a fuel budget near $50 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, traversing the Northeast region. You'll spend a significant amount of time on major highways, making it a straightforward drive. With only one recommended stop and a duration under six hours, this route is a solid option for a single-day excursion.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
139.3 miles from Allentown, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 47m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Pennsylvania Turnpike
151.8 mi
2h 47m
William Penn Highway
43.1 mi
51m
I 81
36.6 mi
44m
I 70
20.6 mi
29m
78th Division Highway
7.6 mi
8m
Mon/Fayette Expressway
7.1 mi
7m
Tilghman Street
5 mi
8m
PA 88
2.9 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Pennsylvania Turnpike
— 151.8 mi, about 2h 47m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 56 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,821 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,332
Quietest
1 AM
~392 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 101 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Allentown, PA and Maple Glen, PA.
1
Start on Tilghman Street
5.0 mi·8 min·Tilghman Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·18 sec
Toward US 22 West: Harrisburg
3
Merge onto US 22
0.7 mi·54 sec·Lehigh Valley Thruway
4
Merge onto I 78; US 22
43 mi·51 min·William Penn Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on I 78; US 22
7.6 mi·8 min·78th Division Highway
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi·49 sec
Exit 1BToward I 81 South: Harrisburg
7
Merge onto I 81
37 mi·44 min·I 81
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·48 sec
Exit 52Toward US 11: New Kingstown, MiddlesexUse the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
201 ft·7 sec
Toward US 11 SouthUse the right lane.
10
Merge onto US 11
1.0 mi·2 min·Harrisburg Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 76, PATP
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·37 sec
Toward I 76 West: PittsburghUse the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto I 76; PATP
152 mi·2 hr 47 min·Pennsylvania Turnpike
14
Take the exit onto I 70
0.4 mi·54 sec·I 70
Toward I 70 West, US 119, PA Turnpike 66 Toll: Greensburg, Wheeling WV, New StantonUse the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70
20 mi·28 min·I 70
Toward I 70 West: New Stanton, Washington PA, Wheeling WV, Columbus OH
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi·52 sec
Toward Toll PA 43: California, Pittsburgh
17
Merge onto PA Tpke 43
7.1 mi·7 min·Mon/Fayette Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit onto PA 88
0.5 mi·59 sec·PA 88
Exit 28Toward PA 88 South: West Brownsville, Fredericktown
19
Keep slight right at fork onto PA 88
2.5 mi·3 min·PA 88
20
Turn left
67 ft·2 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For this 5h 29m drive, leaving Allentown in the morning is advisable to maximize daylight. Consider departing mid-morning to avoid the heaviest commuter traffic. With a single recommended stop and a fuel cost estimated at $50, you can plan your breaks accordingly. The longest continuous stretch is over 150 miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, so ensure you're comfortable with extended highway driving before you set out. Plan to refuel before starting if your tank is low, as the majority of the route is on major highways.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 139.3 miles from Allentown, PA, or about 2h 47m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 151.8 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 61 miles or 1h 15m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 139.3 miles or 2h 47m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Maple Glen, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Allentown, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Allentown, PA
This is one driving day of about 278.6 miles and 5h 29m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 61 miles from Allentown, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Pennsylvania Turnpike for about 151.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 19
5 decision points cluster between mile 56.5 and 247.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
56.5 mi into trip|~1h 9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 81 South: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 1B
Toward I 81 South: Harrisburg
8
93.8 mi into trip|~1h 54m in
Take the exit toward US 11: New Kingstown, Middlesex
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 52
Toward US 11: New Kingstown, Middlesex
8
94.1 mi into trip|~1h 55m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 11 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 11 South
7
95.6 mi into trip|~1h 59m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 76 West: Pittsburgh
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 76 West: Pittsburgh
7
247.6 mi into trip|~4h 46m in|I 70
Take the exit onto I 70 toward I 70 West, US 119, PA Turnpike 66 Toll: Greensburg, Wheeling WV, New Stanton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 70 West, US 119, PA Turnpike 66 Toll:...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$49.03 one way
$98.06 round trip
$4.47/gal25.4 MPG avg98 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.89
$53.61
$107.23
premium
$5.23
$57.32
$114.64
diesel
$6.18
$67.77
$135.55
Estimated Tolls: $20.28
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(151.8 mi)$19.73
Mon/Fayette Expressway
(7.1 mi)$0.50
Lehigh Valley Thruway
(0.7 mi)$0.05
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$49
Tolls
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$94–$119
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
83.6
1
$29.25
$13.37
Efficient EV
69.7
0
$24.38
$11.14
EV Truck/SUV
111.4
1
$39.00
$17.83
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Oct 17, 2026
Origin
Allentown, PA
Morning
in Allentown on Sunday
Local time
7:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Partly Sunny
N 10 to 15 mph12% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 2:10AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 2:10AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Maple Glen, PA
Morning
in Maple Glen on Sunday
Local time
7:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Sunny
N 8 to 13 mph8% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 2:10AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 2:10AM EDT until October 18 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
40°F
King, PA
139 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
5h 29m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their live...
6 mi from route
~15 min detour
Free
near mile 201.8
The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal...
24 mi from route
~61 min detour
Free
near mile 230.6
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together...
25 mi from route
~62 min detour
Free
near mile 182.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly on highways, with 79% of the 278.6 miles covered on them. You'll experience a long stretch of 151.8 miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. After the highway portions, expect to transition to surface roads for the remaining miles into Maple Glen. Keep an eye out for frequent exits along the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 151.8 mi on Pennsylvania Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and William Penn Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 56.5 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 278.6 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 56.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 93.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 94.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
2,283 ft324 ft
Total Climb
2,617 ft
Total Descent
2,180 ft
Highest Point
2,283 ft
~199 mi in
Elevation Range
1,960 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Allentown, PA and Maple Glen, PA, road signs point toward Middlesex, Patp, Pa Turnpike 66 Toll: Greensburg, Wheeling, New Stanton and Washington - among others.
Allentown is the largest city in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, the county seat and largest city in Lehigh County, and the third-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with a population of 125,845 as of 2020.
Top landmarks
•Albertus L. Meyers Bridge — bridge in United States of America
•Allentown Masonic Temple — masonic temple in Allentown, Pennsylvania
•Allentown National Bank — bank building in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 29m. Total distance: 278.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 151.8 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $20.28 in tolls one way, starting with Pennsylvania Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 24 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Maple Glen, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 24 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 56.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 93.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 94.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument, Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Flight 93 National Memorial (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.5 hours each way, a round trip means 11.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Maple Glen, PA before the return drive.
