Origin
Dunbar, PA
Morning in Dunbar on Tuesday
Local time
8:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 30m
Distance
282.5 mi
455 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$47
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dunbar, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Whitman, PA
Haneul Trac
Dunbar, PA to Whitman, PA is 282.5 miles and takes about 5h 30m via Pennsylvania Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $47 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of your journey, making it a straightforward trip. With a recommended one-day duration, you can comfortably complete this route without needing an overnight stay. It's a practical option if you're looking for an efficient way to cover this distance within the state.
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
141.2 miles from Dunbar, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 45m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Turnpike | 236.3 mi | 4h 17m |
| I 76 | 18 mi | 26m |
| Pleasant Valley Road | 7.9 mi | 13m |
| PA 31 | 6 mi | 9m |
| South 8th Street | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Schuylkill Expressway | 3 mi | 4m |
| Morrell Avenue | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Oregon Avenue/Vare Avenue | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Step-by-step road directions between Dunbar, PA and Whitman, PA.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Connellsville Street
Turn sharp right onto Woodvale Street
Continue on Woodvale Street
Continue on Dunbar Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 119
Continue on US 119
Continue on US 119
Take the exit
Turn straight onto PA 982
Turn right onto PA 31
Turn slight left
Turn left
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 70; I 76; PATP
Take the exit onto I 76
Keep slight right at fork onto I 76
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on West Oregon Vare Avenue
Continue on Oregon Avenue/Vare Avenue
Turn left onto South 5th Street
Turn right onto Porter Street
Turn right onto South 4th Street
Turn right onto Vollmer Street
Arrive at destination
Given the 5h 30m estimated driving time, starting your journey in Dunbar, PA in the morning allows ample daylight to reach Whitman, PA. The longest stretch without a major road change is over 236 miles, so plan for a fuel stop before you embark or about halfway through this segment to ensure you have plenty of gas. While the drive is manageable in one day, consider a brief stop around the halfway point to stretch your legs. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially when transitioning from the turnpike to local roads like Pleasant Valley Road, as services might be less frequent.
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.
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 19m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 141.2 miles or 2h 45m 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 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Whitman, PA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Dunbar, 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 Dunbar, PA
This is one driving day of about 282.5 miles and 5h 30m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
141 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.
A short stop after about 62 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 141.2 miles from Dunbar, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Pennsylvania Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 236.3 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 280.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn sharp right onto Woodvale Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Take the exit onto I 76 toward I 76 East: Valley Forge, Philadelphia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 76 / Schuylkill Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Passyunk Avenue, Oregon Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 76 East: Walt Whitman Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$46.83 one way
$93.67 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $51.29 | $102.59 |
| premium | $4.93 | $54.79 | $109.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $62.37 | $124.74 |
Estimated Tolls: $30.72
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Tolls
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$103–$128
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 84.8 | 1 | $29.66 | $13.56 |
| Efficient EV | 70.6 | 0 | $24.72 | $11.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 113 | 1 | $39.55 | $18.08 |
Gas CO2
99 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (67% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Dunbar on Tuesday
Local time
8:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Destination
Morning in Whitman on Tuesday
Local time
8:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Mostly Sunny
62°F
Hilltown, PA
141 mi in
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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...
National Historical Park
The park represents the founding ideals of the nation, and preserves national and international symbols of freedom and democracy, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of I...
National Memorial
Visit the house where wounded Polish freedom fighter Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived and hear how this brilliant military engineer designed successful fortifications during the American Revolution. See the...
National Historical Park
Valley Forge is the place where George Washington and the Continental Army took refuge during the winter of 1777-1778. Today the park protects 3,500 acres of meadows, woodlands, historic landscapes, a...
National Memorial
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their live...
National Battlefield
The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This route is primarily a highway-focused drive, with 93% of the mileage on major roadways like the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-76. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 236.3 miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, offering a consistent cruising experience. The profile suggests a steady pace for most of the trip, punctuated by a short section on Pleasant Valley Road. This means you'll spend the bulk of your time on well-maintained, high-speed roads, minimizing complex navigation.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and I 76. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Woodvale Street.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 282.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Woodvale Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 258.9 miles (I 76): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 276.9 miles (I 76 / Schuylkill Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Dunbar, PA and Whitman, PA, road signs point toward Patp and Philadelphia.
Patp
Philadelphia
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 30m. Total distance: 282.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Dunbar, PA or browse trips ending in Whitman, PA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.