Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from City of Scranton, PA to Birchwood Lakes, 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 7m

Distance

49.4 mi

80 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 5m

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
Downtown City of Scranton, PA, PA

City of Scranton, PA

Michael Taccetta

Downtown Birchwood Lakes, PA, PA

Birchwood Lakes, PA

Virooshan Theva

Trip Overview

Scranton to Birchwood Lakes is 49.4 miles and takes about 1h 7m via I 84, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused trip entirely within Pennsylvania's Northeast region. You'll spend most of your time on the interstate, making it a quick and efficient journey. Given its short duration, it's ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing plenty of flexibility in your schedule. Plan for a simple drive that gets you to your destination without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 84 33.8 mi 39m
PA-739 10.3 mi 19m
American Legion Memorial Highway 1.5 mi 1m
Doolan Road 0.9 mi 1m
President Biden Expressway 0.6 mi <1m
Cedar Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 84 — 33.8 mi, about 39m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between City of Scranton, PA and Birchwood Lakes, PA.

1

Start on Cedar Avenue

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Cedar Avenue
2

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
3

Merge onto President Biden Expressway

0.6 mi · 52 sec · President Biden Expressway
4

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 81 North: Binghamton
5

Merge onto I 81

1.5 mi · 1 min · American Legion Memorial Highway
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward I-84 east, US 6 east
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 35 sec
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 38 sec
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South: Mt Pocono, Milford
9

Merge onto I 84; I 380

3.4 mi · 4 min · I 84; I 380
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 84

30 mi · 35 min · I 84
Toward I 84 East: Milford
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward PA 739: Lords Valley , Dingmans Ferry
12

Turn right onto PA 739

10 mi · 19 min · PA-739
13

Turn right onto Doolan Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Doolan Road
14

Arrive at destination

Doolan Road

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Lehigh, PA, PA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lehigh, PA

25 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

Olyphant, PA

Fuel and coffee

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

Paupack, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.7 miles from City of Scranton, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 37.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1.1 mi into trip | ~1m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 81 North: Binghamton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 81 North: Binghamton
5
3 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward I-84 east, US 6 east

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

Toward I-84 east, US 6 east
6
3.7 mi into trip | ~5m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 84 East, I 380 South: Mt Pocono, Milford

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 84 East, I 380 South: Mt Pocono, Milfo...
5
7.5 mi into trip | ~10m in | I 84

Keep slight left at fork onto I 84 toward I 84 East: Milford

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 84 East: Milford
5
37.9 mi into trip | ~45m in

Take the exit toward PA 739: Lords Valley , Dingmans Ferry

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

Toward PA 739: Lords Valley , Dingmans Ferry

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.19 one way

$16.38 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.97 $17.94
premium $4.93 $9.58 $19.16
diesel $5.61 $10.91 $21.81

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.8 0 $5.19 $2.37
Efficient EV 12.4 0 $4.32 $1.98
EV Truck/SUV 19.8 0 $6.92 $3.16

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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

City of Scranton, PA

Late night in City of Scranton on Sunday

Local time

12:58 AM

EDT

Current temp

86°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 9 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

Birchwood Lakes, PA

Late night in Birchwood Lakes on Sunday

Local time

12:58 AM

EDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

53°F

Lehigh, PA

25 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

42 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 7m 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 drive is predominantly a highway experience, with 91% of the journey on major roadways like I 84. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 33.8 miles on I 84, offering a consistent, high-speed environment for a significant portion of the trip. The route transitions to PA-739 and American Legion Memorial Highway as you approach Birchwood Lakes, likely providing a slightly more local feel. Expect a straightforward driving profile that prioritizes getting you there quickly over winding scenic byways.

91% 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: 33.8 mi on I 84.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 84 and PA-739. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 49.4 miles you will encounter 12 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 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 City of Scranton, PA and Birchwood Lakes, PA, road signs point toward Milford and Dingmans Ferry.

Milford

3.7 mi in | ~5m

Dingmans Ferry

37.9 mi in | ~45m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 49.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 33.8 miles on I 84. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Birchwood Lakes, 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 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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

Erie, PA 391.1 mi · 7h 25m Pittsburgh, PA 329.3 mi · 6h 48m

More from City of Scranton, PA

Darlington, PA 311.4 mi · 5h 55m Washington, PA 311.2 mi · 6h 18m Chartiers, PA 308.9 mi · 6h 16m Collier, PA 304.4 mi · 6h 4m Buffington, PA 304.3 mi · 6h 4m Fairchance, PA 304 mi · 6h 3m

More trips to Birchwood Lakes, PA

Philadelphia, PA 125.7 mi Allentown, PA 69.6 mi Bethlehem, PA 63.5 mi
Escape planner: City of Scranton, PA Scenic drives in PA

Explore more options from City of Scranton, PA or browse trips ending in Birchwood Lakes, PA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.