Scranton, PA to Greencastle, PA is 181.2 miles and takes about 3h 36m via American Legion Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $33 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region down through the state. Expect a drive primarily on surface roads, offering a more local feel compared to interstate travel. With a recommended one-day duration, this route is manageable for a single stretch of driving.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
90.6 miles from City of Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 47m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
American Legion Memorial Highway
178 mi
3h 30m
George N. Wade Memorial Bridge
0.9 mi
1m
River Street
0.9 mi
1m
East Baltimore Street
0.6 mi
1m
Buchanan Trail East
0.2 mi
<1m
Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
West Baltimore Street
—
—
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 178 mi, about 3h 30m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,363 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,740
Quietest
1 AM
~319 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 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 Greencastle, 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
118 mi·2 hr 19 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 81
0.9 mi·1 min·George N. Wade Memorial Bridge
7
Continue on I 81
60 mi·1 hr 11 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·33 sec
Toward PA 16: Waynesboro, Greencastle
9
Turn right onto PA 16
0.2 mi·27 sec·Buchanan Trail East
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on PA 16
0.6 mi·1 min·East Baltimore Street
11
Arrive at destination
PA 16
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 36m estimated drive time, leaving Scranton in the morning will get you to Greencastle with plenty of daylight to spare. Since it's a single-day trip with only one suggested stop, you have flexibility in pacing. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially as you approach the 178-mile mark on the American Legion Memorial Highway, where services might be less frequent. The George N. Wade Memorial Bridge is a notable segment, so be aware of any potential traffic patterns there.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 90.6 miles from City of Scranton, PA, or about 1h 47m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 178 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 40 miles or 48m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 90.6 miles or 1h 47m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Greencastle, 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 181.2 miles and 3h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 40 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 American Legion Memorial Highway for about 178 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 5
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 180.4 — 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
4
1.1 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
1.3 mi into trip|~2m in|I 81 / American Legion Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 81 / American Legion Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
180.2 mi into trip|~3h 34m in
Take the exit toward PA 16: Waynesboro, Greencastle
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward PA 16: Waynesboro, Greencastle
6
180.4 mi into trip|~3h 34m in|PA 16 / Buchanan Trail East
Turn right onto PA 16 / Buchanan Trail East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.05 one way
$64.09 round trip
$4.49/gal25.4 MPG avg63 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.92
$35.10
$70.20
premium
$5.24
$37.41
$74.82
diesel
$5.35
$38.17
$76.33
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 63.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
54.4
0
$19.03
$8.70
Efficient EV
45.3
0
$15.86
$7.25
EV Truck/SUV
72.5
0
$25.37
$11.60
Gas CO2
63 kg
EV CO2
21 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 May 31, 2026
Origin
City of Scranton, PA
Afternoon
in City of Scranton on Wednesday
Local time
4:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Mostly Sunny
NW 3 to 10 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Greencastle, PA
Afternoon
in Greencastle on Wednesday
Local time
4:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Sunny
W 3 mph0% 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
1 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
3h 36m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
1 mi from route
~3 min detour
Free
near mile 137.4
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
6 mi from route
~15 min detour
Free
near mile 93.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is almost entirely surface roads, with a highway share of 0%. You'll be navigating local streets and arteries for the full 181.2 miles. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 178 miles on the American Legion Memorial Highway. Be prepared for frequent intersections and changes in speed limits as you pass through various towns and communities.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 178 mi on American Legion Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near River Street.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from City of Scranton, PA to Greencastle, PA is easy. At 3h 36m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 81 / American Legion Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 178 miles on American Legion Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 20 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 0.2 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 81 / American Legion Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument and Appalachian National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Greencastle, PA, but most travelers stay overnight.
