Scranton, PA to Greenwood, PA is 170.6 miles and takes about 3h 26m via American Legion Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $28 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This one-day trip stays within Pennsylvania, traversing the Northeast region. Expect a driving experience characterized by frequent turns rather than highway cruising, making it more of a local road adventure. It's a manageable distance for a single day, but plan for a more engaged drive due to the road's nature.
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
85.3 miles from City of Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 41m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
American Legion Memorial Highway
162.9 mi
3h 13m
Black Gap Road
5.2 mi
9m
George N. Wade Memorial Bridge
0.9 mi
1m
River Street
0.9 mi
1m
Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Lincoln Way East
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 162.9 mi, about 3h 13m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 40 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,410 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,787
Quietest
1 AM
~321 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.5×
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 Greenwood, 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
45 mi·53 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward Scotland
9
Turn left onto PA 997
5.2 mi·9 min·Black Gap Road
10
At end of road, turn right onto US 30; PA 997
222 ft·3 sec·Lincoln Way East
11
Arrive at destination
US 30; PA 997
Trip Plan
With a 3h 26m estimated drive time, leaving Scranton in the morning allows ample time to reach Greenwood before sunset. Since this is a single-day trip with only one recommended stop, you have flexibility. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you'll be on local roads for the majority of the drive, and be prepared for frequent adjustments to your steering. The American Legion Memorial Highway forms the backbone of this trip for over 160 miles, so staying oriented on that key road will be your primary navigation challenge.
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 85.3 miles from City of Scranton, PA, or about 1h 41m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 162.9 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 38 miles or 45m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 85.3 miles or 1h 41m 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 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Greenwood, 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 170.6 miles and 3h 26m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 38 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 162.9 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 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 170.5 — 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.
4
165.1 mi into trip|~3h 16m in
Take the exit toward Scotland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Scotland
5
170.5 mi into trip|~3h 26m in|US 30; PA 997 / Lincoln Way East
At end of road, turn right onto US 30; PA 997 / Lincoln Way East
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.17 one way
$60.34 round trip
$4.49/gal25.4 MPG avg60 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.92
$33.05
$66.09
premium
$5.24
$35.22
$70.44
diesel
$5.35
$35.93
$71.87
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 59.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
51.2
0
$17.91
$8.19
Efficient EV
42.7
0
$14.93
$6.82
EV Truck/SUV
68.2
0
$23.88
$10.92
Gas CO2
60 kg
EV CO2
20 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 Jun 2, 2026
Origin
City of Scranton, PA
Afternoon
in City of Scranton on Wednesday
Local time
4:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Mostly Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Greenwood, PA
Afternoon
in Greenwood on Wednesday
Local time
4:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 3 mph8% 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
3 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
3h 26m 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...
2 mi from route
~4 min detour
Free
near mile 135.3
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
~14 min detour
Free
near mile 94.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a turn-heavy local drive experience, with a 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 162.9 miles on the American Legion Memorial Highway. Given the profile, anticipate a journey that requires your attention, with many changes in direction and potentially varied road surfaces as you navigate local roads. It's less about high-speed transit and more about connecting points through a network of local routes.
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: 162.9 mi on American Legion Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
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 Effort1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from City of Scranton, PA to Greenwood, PA is easy. At 3h 26m 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 162.9 miles on American Legion Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 19 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 3.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Greenwood, PA, but most travelers stay overnight.
