Ben Avon to Erie is 121.3 miles and takes about 2 hours 20 minutes via I 79 and Parkway North, with a fuel budget near $20 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. The route is predominantly highway, making it a straightforward drive. Plan for a quick trip, as it's easily manageable in a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
60.7 miles from Ben Avon, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 11m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 79
111.2 mi
2h
Parkway North
4.6 mi
6m
West 12th Street
2.3 mi
4m
Ben Avon Heights Road
1 mi
2m
State Street
0.4 mi
1m
Perrysville Avenue
0.4 mi
1m
Camp Horne Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Perrysville Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 79
— 111.2 mi, about 2h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ben Avon, PA and Erie, PA.
1
Start on Forest Avenue
72 ft·4 sec·Forest Avenue
2
Turn right onto Church Avenue
489 ft·22 sec·Church Avenue
3
Turn left onto Dickson Avenue
476 ft·17 sec·Dickson Avenue
4
Turn right onto Perrysville Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·Perrysville Avenue
5
Continue on Perrysville Road
0.2 mi·29 sec·Perrysville Road
6
Turn slight left onto New Brighton Road
0.1 mi·18 sec·New Brighton Road
7
Continue on Ben Avon Heights Road
0.6 mi·1 min·Ben Avon Heights Road
8
Continue on Ben Avon Heights Road
0.5 mi·1 min·Ben Avon Heights Road
9
Turn right onto Green Belt
0.2 mi·28 sec·Camp Horne Road
10
Turn left
0.3 mi·45 sec
Toward I 279: Erie
11
Merge onto I 279
4.6 mi·6 min·Parkway North
12
Merge onto I 79
111 mi·2 hr·I 79
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·49 sec
Exit 183AToward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
14
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290
2.3 mi·4 min·West 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto State Street
0.4 mi·1 min·State Street
Use the left lane.
16
Arrive at destination
State Street
Trip Plan
Given this is a manageable 2 hour 20 minute drive, you have flexibility in when you depart. Leaving in the morning allows ample time to reach Erie with daylight to spare. With over 95% of the route on highways, you can cover significant ground between fuel stops. The longest stretch is over 111 miles, so keep an eye on your fuel gauge before embarking on that section. Since it's a short trip, you can easily complete it in one day without needing to stop overnight.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 60.7 miles from Ben Avon, PA, or about 1h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 111.2 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 27 miles or 34m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 60.7 miles or 1h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Erie, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Ben Avon, 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 Ben Avon, PA
This is one driving day of about 121.3 miles and 2h 20m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Ben Avon, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 79 for about 111.2 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 120.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Dickson Avenue
Turn left onto Dickson Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
7.1 mi into trip|~12m in|I 79
Merge onto I 79
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
118.3 mi into trip|~2h 13m in
Take the exit toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 183A
Toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
5
118.6 mi into trip|~2h 14m in|PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
120.9 mi into trip|~2h 19m in|State Street
Turn left onto State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.11 one way
$40.22 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg42 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$22.03
$44.05
premium
$4.93
$23.52
$47.05
diesel
$5.61
$26.78
$53.56
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 42.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
36.4
0
$12.74
$5.82
Efficient EV
30.3
0
$10.61
$4.85
EV Truck/SUV
48.5
0
$16.98
$7.76
Gas CO2
42 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (67% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Ben Avon, PA
Morning
in Ben Avon on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Erie, PA
Morning
in Erie on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 16 to 20 mph94% chanceLive forecast
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
16 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 20m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 95% of the 121.3 miles on highways, with the longest continuous stretch covering 111.2 miles on I 79. This means you'll experience mostly highway cruising for the bulk of your drive. The transition to surface roads will likely occur towards the end of your trip, specifically on West 12th Street in Erie. Expect a fairly uninterrupted drive with minimal time on local roads.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 111.2 mi on I 79.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 79 and Parkway North. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Dickson Avenue.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 20m 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 0.1 miles (Dickson Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.1 miles (I 79): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 118.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The longest stretch is about 111.2 miles on I 79. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 10 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, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Dickson Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.1 miles (I 79): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 118.3 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 Erie, PA before heading back.
