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Trip from Allentown, PA to Preston, PA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 22m

Distance

63.7 mi

102 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 16m ★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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county seat city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States

Allentown, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Preston, PA, PA

Preston, PA

Haneul Trac

Trip Overview

Allentown to Preston is 63.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 22 minutes via Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Pennsylvania's Northeast region, offering a straightforward journey with a significant portion on the Turnpike. It's a good option for a quick trip, whether you're heading out for the day or just need to cover ground efficiently. The route is primarily highway-focused, making it a practical choice for those prioritizing speed and directness over a leisurely exploration.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension 47.7 mi 52m
Tilghman Street 4.5 mi 7m
Laurel Run Road 3.8 mi 6m
Pine Run Road 2.8 mi 5m
PA 309 1.3 mi 2m
Bear Creek Boulevard 0.8 mi 1m
Hazleton Street 0.6 mi 1m
South Main Street 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension — 47.7 mi, about 52m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Allentown, PA and Preston, PA.

1

Start on Tilghman Street

4.5 mi · 7 min · Tilghman Street
2

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward I 476, PATP
3

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward I 476 North: Scranton Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto I 476; PATP

48 mi · 52 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
5

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 105 Toward PA 115: Wilkes-Barre, Bear Creek
6

Turn right onto PA 115

0.8 mi · 1 min · Bear Creek Boulevard
7

Turn right onto Oakridge Road

0.1 mi · 22 sec · Oakridge Road
8

Turn right onto Laurel Run Road

3.8 mi · 6 min · Laurel Run Road
9

Turn slight left onto Pine Run Road

2.8 mi · 5 min · Pine Run Road
10

Turn right onto PA 309

1.3 mi · 2 min · PA 309
11

Turn left onto Hazleton Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · Hazleton Street
12

At end of road, turn left onto South Main Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
13

Turn left onto Chester Street

287 ft · 12 sec · Chester Street
14

Arrive at destination

Chester Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

borough of Pennsylvania, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Weatherly, PA

32 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Walnutport, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Jim Thorpe, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 31.8 miles from Allentown, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 63.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
4.5 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the ramp toward I 476, PATP

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 476, PATP
7
4.9 mi into trip | ~8m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 476 North: Scranton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 476 North: Scranton
6
53.1 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in

Take the exit toward PA 115: Wilkes-Barre, Bear Creek

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 105 Toward PA 115: Wilkes-Barre, Bear Creek
4
61.2 mi into trip | ~1h 16m in | PA 309

Turn right onto PA 309

Navigation decision point

5
63.2 mi into trip | ~1h 20m in | South Main Street

At end of road, turn left onto South Main Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.56 one way

$21.12 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $11.57 $23.13
premium $4.93 $12.35 $24.71
diesel $5.61 $14.06 $28.13

Estimated Tolls: $6.20

Pennsylvania Turnpike (47.7 mi) $6.20

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Tolls

$6

Total

$17

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 19.1 0 $6.69 $3.06
Efficient EV 15.9 0 $5.57 $2.55
EV Truck/SUV 25.5 0 $8.92 $4.08

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

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 Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Allentown, PA

Morning in Allentown on Sunday

Local time

8:05 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°F

Rain Showers

NW 10 to 15 mph 96% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 3:52AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 1:11AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Preston, PA

Morning in Preston on Sunday

Local time

8:05 AM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

4 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 22m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This is a highway-focused drive, with 77% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll spend a good amount of time on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, including one uninterrupted stretch of 47.7 miles. Expect a consistent pace for most of the journey, making it ideal for covering distance quickly. While the main roads are highways, the initial and final segments might involve navigating local roads like Tilghman Street and Laurel Run Road, offering a slight change of scenery before reaching your destination.

77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 47.7 mi on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and Tilghman Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 22m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 53.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Preston, PA, road signs point toward Patp and Bear Creek.

Patp

4.5 mi in | ~7m

Bear Creek

53.1 mi in | ~1h 1m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 63.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (77%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 47.7 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $6.20 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 3 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.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 53.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Preston, PA before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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