Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Bethlehem, PA to Oakdale, 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 20m

Distance

52 mi

84 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 14m ★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 16m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Lehigh and Northampton counties, Pennsylvania, USA

Bethlehem, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Oakdale, PA, PA

Oakdale, PA

Jack Pace

Trip Overview

This 52-mile drive from Bethlehem, PA to Oakdale, PA is a straightforward 1 hour and 20-minute journey that's perfectly suited for a single day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads like Macarthur Road, Lehigh Drive, and Hudson Drive, with a highway share of about 100%, making it a continuous local road experience. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $9, making it an economical option for a quick excursion. Given its short duration and local road focus, this route is ideal for those looking for a brief, manageable drive within Pennsylvania.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Macarthur Road 7.4 mi 10m
Lehigh Drive 7 mi 9m
Hudson Drive 5.8 mi 8m
MacArthur Road 4.5 mi 7m
Stockton Mountain Road 4.2 mi 9m
Lehigh Valley Thruway 3.2 mi 4m
Hunter Street 2.8 mi 3m
East Catawissa Street 2.5 mi 3m
Longest stretch: Macarthur Road — 7.4 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bethlehem, PA and Oakdale, 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

3.2 mi · 4 min · Lehigh Valley Thruway
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Toward PA 145 Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight right at fork

241 ft · 9 sec
Toward PA 145 North Use the right lane.
9

Merge onto PA 145

4.5 mi · 7 min · MacArthur Road
Use the right lane.
10

Continue on PA 145

7.4 mi · 10 min · Macarthur Road
11

Continue on PA 145

1.0 mi · 1 min · South Best Avenue
12

Continue on PA 145

0.4 mi · 33 sec · North Best Avenue
Use the straight lane.
13

Continue on PA 145

1.4 mi · 1 min · Riverview Drive
14

At end of road, turn left onto PA 248

7.0 mi · 9 min · Lehigh Drive
15

Turn left onto US 209

0.5 mi · 1 min · Bridge Street
Use the left lane.
16

Continue on US 209

0.1 mi · 7 sec · Bankway Street
17

Continue on US 209

0.6 mi · 55 sec · Sargent Stanley Hoffman Boulevard
Toward US 209 South Use the straight lane.
18

Continue on US 209

0.9 mi · 1 min · North 1st Street
19

Continue on US 209

1.9 mi · 2 min · Mauch Chunk Street
20

Continue on US 209

0.3 mi · 39 sec · Susquehanna Street
21

Turn right onto US 209

123 ft · 1 sec · Lehigh Avenue
22

Continue on US 209

0.5 mi · 32 sec · Lehigh Street
23

Continue on US 209

0.3 mi · 22 sec · Lehigh Avenue
24

Continue on US 209

2.5 mi · 3 min · East Catawissa Street
25

Turn right onto PA 93

523 ft · 7 sec · Hudson Drive
26

Continue on State Route 93

2.8 mi · 3 min · Hunter Street
27

Continue on PA 93

5.7 mi · 8 min · Hudson Drive
28

Continue on PA 93

0.5 mi · 34 sec · Broad Street
29

Continue on PA 93

1.0 mi · 1 min · Berwick Street
30

Continue on PA 93

0.2 mi · 11 sec · East Broad Street
31

Turn right onto Stockton Mountain Road

4.2 mi · 9 min · Stockton Mountain Road
32

At end of road, turn right onto PA 940

0.4 mi · 45 sec · PA 940
33

Turn left onto Swaab Court

166 ft · 13 sec · Swaab Court
34

Turn right onto Pierce Court

264 ft · 15 sec · Pierce Court
35

Arrive at destination

Pierce Court

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Lehighton, PA, PA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lehighton, PA

26 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

Whitehall Township, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lehighton, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.4 and 29.5 — 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
6
7.5 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward PA 145

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward PA 145
8
7.7 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight right at fork toward PA 145 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward PA 145 North
5
7.7 mi into trip | ~12m in | PA 145 / MacArthur Road

Merge onto PA 145 / MacArthur Road

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
29.5 mi into trip | ~43m in | US 209 / Bridge Street

Turn left onto US 209 / Bridge Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.62 one way

$17.24 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.44 $18.88
premium $4.93 $10.08 $20.17
diesel $5.61 $11.48 $22.96

Estimated Tolls: $0.23

Lehigh Valley Thruway (3.2 mi) $0.23

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$0

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.6 0 $5.46 $2.50
Efficient EV 13 0 $4.55 $2.08
EV Truck/SUV 20.8 0 $7.28 $3.33

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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 16, 2026

Origin

Bethlehem, PA

Morning in Bethlehem on Sunday

Local time

7:56 AM

EDT

Current temp

88°F

Partly Sunny

SW 10 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:42AM EDT by NWS State College PA

Destination

Oakdale, PA

Morning in Oakdale on Sunday

Local time

7:56 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°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

25 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 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 52-mile route. With a 100% highway share, you'll be on local roads for the full 1 hour and 20 minutes. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.4 miles along Macarthur Road. This means you'll be actively steering and managing turns for most of the journey, rather than cruising on high-speed highways. Be prepared for frequent changes in speed limits and road conditions as you navigate through various local areas.

Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
35 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.4 mi on Macarthur Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 52 miles you will encounter 17 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 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 20m. Total distance: 52 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.4 miles on Macarthur Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.23 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 Oakdale, 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 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Oakdale, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Oakdale, PA

Pittsburgh, PA 256.3 mi · 5h 20m Philadelphia, PA 99 mi · 2h 8m Allentown, PA 48.6 mi · 1h 10m City of Scranton, PA 41 mi · 59m

More from Bethlehem, PA

Erie, PA 364.3 mi · 7h Waterford, PA 325 mi · 6h 48m Oakwood, PA 317.9 mi · 6h 16m Connoquenessing, PA 317.8 mi · 6h 12m Clifton, PA 289.2 mi · 5h 56m Blawnox, PA 288.3 mi · 5h 37m

More trips to Oakdale, PA

Pittsburgh, PA 256.3 mi Bristol, PA 106.8 mi Croydon, PA 104.8 mi Philadelphia, PA 99.2 mi Reading, PA 55.2 mi Allentown, PA 48.5 mi
Escape planner: Bethlehem, PA Scenic drives in PA

Explore more options from Bethlehem, PA or browse trips ending in Oakdale, PA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.