This 280.3-mile journey from Scranton, PA to Sandy Lake, PA will take you approximately 5 hours and 12 minutes. It's a manageable 1-day trip, but you might want to start early to make the most of it. Expect to spend around $46 on fuel for this drive. The route primarily follows the Keystone Shortway and the American Legion Memorial Highway, offering a local, turn-heavy experience rather than high-speed interstate travel. Since you're staying within the Northeast region of Pennsylvania, you'll experience a consistent feel throughout the drive.
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
140.1 miles from City of Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 37m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
234.9 mi
4h 13m
American Legion Memorial Highway
32.7 mi
39m
Sandy Lake Grove City Road
7.5 mi
10m
Sandy Lake Road
2.4 mi
3m
River Street
0.9 mi
1m
South Main Street
0.4 mi
1m
Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Mercer Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 234.9 mi, about 4h 13m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,102 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,486
Quietest
2 AM
~187 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.9×
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 Sandy Lake, 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
235 mi·4 hr 13 min·Keystone Shortway
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Toward PA 173: Grove City, Sandy Lake
9
Turn right onto PA 173
2.4 mi·3 min·Sandy Lake Road
10
Continue on PA 173
7.5 mi·10 min·Sandy Lake Grove City Road
11
Continue on PA 173
0.4 mi·1 min·South Main Street
12
Turn sharp left onto US 62
84 ft·1 sec·Mercer Street
13
Arrive at destination
US 62
Trip Plan
To best enjoy this 5-hour, 12-minute drive, consider an early morning departure from Scranton to maximize daylight. You'll have one main road, the Keystone Shortway, for a considerable 234.9 miles, so plan your first stop after that segment. With a fuel cost estimate of $46, it’s a good idea to fill up before you leave or at a major stop along the Keystone Shortway to avoid searching for stations on more local roads. Keep an eye out for the numerous turns characteristic of this route; they'll require your attention.
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 140.1 miles from City of Scranton, PA, or about 2h 37m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 234.9 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 62 miles or 1h 12m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 140.1 miles or 2h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sandy Lake, 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 280.3 miles and 5h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 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 234.9 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 280.3 — 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
4
1.1 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the ramp
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
269.6 mi into trip|~4h 56m in
Take the exit toward PA 173: Grove City, Sandy Lake
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward PA 173: Grove City, Sandy Lake
5
280.3 mi into trip|~5h 12m in|US 62 / Mercer Street
Turn sharp left onto US 62 / Mercer Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.69 one way
$89.39 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg98 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$49.46
$98.92
premium
$4.81
$53.06
$106.12
diesel
$4.80
$52.93
$105.85
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$45
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$70–$95
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
84.1
1
$29.43
$13.45
Efficient EV
70.1
0
$24.53
$11.21
EV Truck/SUV
112.1
1
$39.24
$17.94
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
City of Scranton, PA
Morning
in City of Scranton on Monday
Local time
6:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Areas Of Smoke
SE 0 to 3 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 9:35PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 17 at 9:22PM EDT until July 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
Destination
Sandy Lake, PA
Morning
in Sandy Lake on Monday
Local time
6:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Smoke
S 2 to 7 mph60% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 9:35PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 17 at 9:22PM EDT until July 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
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
2 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
5h 12m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
With a 0% highway share, this route is a turn-heavy local drive. The personality of the road is more about navigating through towns and varied terrain than covering long distances at high speed. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 234.9 miles on the Keystone Shortway, which will likely be your longest segment of consistent driving. As you progress, expect the road to change character, moving from more open stretches to more winding or built-up areas as you get closer to your destination.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 234.9 mi on Keystone Shortway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near River Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 12m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 34 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The longest stretch is about 234.9 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 36 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.
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 36 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 34 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.2 hours each way, a round trip means 10.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Sandy Lake, PA before the return drive.
