Origin
Bethlehem, PA
Late night in Bethlehem on Sunday
Local time
3:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bethlehem, PA to Auburn, 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
Distance
44.4 mi
71 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bethlehem, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Auburn, PA
Dominik Gryzbon
Trip Overview
This 44.4-mile drive from Bethlehem, PA, to Auburn, PA, is a quick one-day trip, taking about an hour to complete. You'll primarily be on the William Penn Highway, Lehigh Valley Thruway, and Centre Turnpike, with about 7% of the journey on highways. With a fuel cost estimated at $7, this short hop is budget-friendly and offers a straightforward local driving experience. It's a convenient option for a short excursion within Pennsylvania's Northeast region, easily manageable in a single day without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| William Penn Highway | 21.7 mi | 26m |
| Lehigh Valley Thruway | 9.8 mi | 13m |
| Centre Turnpike | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Market Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Pottsville Pike | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Bethlehem Spur Route | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| East Union Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| PA 895 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
William Penn Highway
— 21.7 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bethlehem, PA and Auburn, PA.
1
Start on Linden Street
367 ft
·
13 sec
·
Linden Street
2
Turn right onto East Union Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Union Boulevard
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
4
Merge onto PA 378
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Bethlehem Spur Route
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 22 West: Allentown
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto US 22
9.8 mi
·
13 min
·
Lehigh Valley Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 78; US 22
22 mi
·
26 min
·
William Penn Highway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 29
Toward PA 61 North: Pottsville
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 29
Toward PA 61 North: Pottsville
10
Merge onto PA 61
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Pottsville Pike
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on PA 61
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Centre Turnpike
12
Take the exit onto PA 895
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
PA 895
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on PA 895
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Market Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
PA 895
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.2 miles from Bethlehem, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 3.4 and 36.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 22 West: Allentown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 22 West: Allentown
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 22 / Lehigh Valley Thruway
Merge onto US 22 / Lehigh Valley Thruway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
35.8 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward PA 61 North: Pottsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 29
Toward PA 61 North: Pottsville
7
35.9 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Keep slight right at fork toward PA 61 North: Pottsville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 29
Toward PA 61 North: Pottsville
5
36.2 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
PA 61 / Pottsville Pike
Merge onto PA 61 / Pottsville Pike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.36 one way
$14.72 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.06 | $16.12 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.61 | $17.22 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.80 | $19.61 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.91
Lehigh Valley Thruway
(9.8 mi)
$0.69
Centre Turnpike
(3.1 mi)
$0.22
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.89 | $1.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.22 | $2.84 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Destination
Auburn, PA
Late night in Auburn on Sunday
Local time
3:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny
NW 6 mph
16% chance
Live forecast
68°F
Kutztown, PA
22 mi in
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
22 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
1h 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 44.4-mile route. While only 7% is highway, the majority of your time will be spent navigating local roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 21.7 miles on the William Penn Highway. This drive isn't about high-speed cruising; instead, it's a more engaged experience with frequent adjustments. The character of the road will shift as you move through different stretches, offering a more varied feel than a monotonous interstate journey.
Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.7 mi on William Penn Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.4 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (US 22 / Lehigh Valley Thruway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 44.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.7 miles on William Penn Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.91 in tolls one way, starting with Lehigh Valley Thruway. 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.
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 Auburn, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (US 22 / Lehigh Valley Thruway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Appalachian National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Auburn, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Auburn, PA
More trips to Auburn, PA
Explore more options from Bethlehem, PA or browse trips ending in Auburn, PA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.