The City of Scranton, PA to Avonia, PA is 338.3 miles and takes about 6h 19m via Keystone Shortway and I 79, with a fuel budget near $57 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its duration and the fact that it's mostly surface roads, you'll experience a more local feel than a pure interstate run. Plan for a day of varied driving as you traverse this route.
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
169.2 miles from City of Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 8m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
239.4 mi
4h 18m
I 79
48.3 mi
51m
American Legion Memorial Highway
32.7 mi
39m
PA-98
6.9 mi
9m
Avonia Road
5.4 mi
9m
Route 6N
2.7 mi
4m
River Street
0.9 mi
1m
Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 239.4 mi, about 4h 18m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 60 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,073 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,496
Quietest
2 AM
~190 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 104 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 City of Scranton, PA and Avonia, PA.
1
Start on Cedar Avenue
0.1 mi·11 sec·Cedar Avenue
2
Continue on Cedar Avenue
400 ft·12 sec·Cedar Avenue
3
Turn left onto River Street
0.9 mi·1 min·River Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
5
Merge onto I 81
33 mi·39 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 151BToward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
7
Merge onto I 80
239 mi·4 hr 18 min·Keystone Shortway
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 79 North: Erie
9
Merge onto I 79
48 mi·51 min·I 79
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Toward US 6N: Albion, Edinboro
11
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6N
2.7 mi·4 min·Route 6N
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn right onto PA 98
6.9 mi·9 min·PA-98
13
Continue on PA 98
5.4 mi·9 min·Avonia Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Hathaway Drive
44 ft·7 sec·Hathaway Drive
15
Turn right
52 ft·3 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 6-hour drive, consider departing Scranton shortly after sunrise. This allows ample time for the 338.3-mile trip and ensures you arrive in Avonia with daylight to spare. With only one recommended stop, you can pack snacks and drinks to minimize time spent off the road. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the longest stretch without major exits can be significant, and utilize the $57 fuel budget estimate for planning. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility in your pacing.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 169.2 miles from City of Scranton, PA, or about 3h 8m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 239.4 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 74 miles or 1h 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 169.2 miles or 3h 8m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Avonia, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving City of Scranton, 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 City of Scranton, PA
This is one driving day of about 338.3 miles and 6h 19m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 74 miles from City of Scranton, 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 Keystone Shortway for about 239.4 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 338.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|River Street
Turn left onto River Street
Navigation decision point
5
34 mi into trip|~42m in
Take the exit toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 151B
Toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
5
323.1 mi into trip|~5h 54m in
Take the exit toward US 6N: Albion, Edinboro
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 6N: Albion, Edinboro
6
323.4 mi into trip|~5h 55m in|US 6N / Route 6N
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6N / Route 6N
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
338.3 mi into trip|~6h 19m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$59.08 one way
$118.17 round trip
$4.44/gal25.4 MPG avg118 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.86
$64.69
$129.38
premium
$5.20
$69.20
$138.41
diesel
$6.28
$83.59
$167.18
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$59
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$84–$109
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 118.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $36 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
101.5
1
$35.52
$16.24
Efficient EV
84.6
0
$29.60
$13.53
EV Truck/SUV
135.3
1
$47.36
$21.65
Gas CO2
118 kg
EV CO2
40 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 19, 2026
Origin
City of Scranton, PA
Afternoon
in City of Scranton on Thursday
Local time
4:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Sunny
N 0 to 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 18 at 10:42PM EDT until October 19 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS State College PA
Destination
Avonia, PA
Afternoon
in Avonia on Thursday
Local time
4:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Clear
S 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 18 at 10:42PM EDT until October 19 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS State College PA
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
28 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
6h 19m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly surface roads, with highway driving accounting for only 17% of the total distance. You'll have a long stretch of 239.4 miles on the Keystone Shortway before transitioning to other roads like I 79 and the American Legion Memorial Highway. Expect to encounter more frequent intersections and potential slowdowns as you move away from the limited-access sections.
Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 239.4 mi on Keystone Shortway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near River Street.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 338.3 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 0.2 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point; at 34 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 323.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 19m. Total distance: 338.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 19m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 239.4 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 41 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 is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Avonia, 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 41 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point; at 34 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 323.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.3 hours each way, a round trip means 12.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Avonia, PA before the return drive.
