Traveling from East Conemaugh to Erie covers 182.4 miles and typically takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes. Because this is a highway-focused drive, it is perfectly manageable as a straightforward one-day trip, meaning you likely won't need to book an overnight stay unless you prefer a slower pace. Budgeting approximately $30 for fuel will get you from the Northeast region of Pennsylvania up to the shores of Lake Erie. You will primarily navigate via I-79, the Ben Franklin Highway, and US-422. It is an efficient route that balances interstate transit with local highway driving, making it a practical choice for travelers looking to bridge the distance between these two Pennsylvania points without unnecessary detours.
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
91.2 miles from East Conemaugh, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 6m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 79
83.6 mi
1h 29m
Ben Franklin Highway
42.8 mi
56m
US 422
38.5 mi
52m
William Penn Avenue
6.7 mi
11m
Station Road
3.5 mi
5m
West 12th Street
2.3 mi
4m
Parkhill Drive
2.1 mi
3m
Shoemaker Street
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 79
— 83.6 mi, about 1h 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between East Conemaugh, PA and Erie, PA.
1
Start on Oak Street
100 ft·7 sec·Oak Street
2
Turn right onto PA 271
319 ft·6 sec·2nd Street
3
Turn straight onto PA 271
2.1 mi·3 min·Parkhill Drive
4
Turn straight onto PA 271
6.7 mi·11 min·William Penn Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on PA 271
0.8 mi·1 min·Shoemaker Street
6
Continue on PA 271
0.1 mi·18 sec·Chestnut Street
7
At end of road, turn left onto PA 271
0.5 mi·45 sec·2nd Street
8
Continue on PA 271
3.5 mi·5 min·Station Road
9
At end of road, turn left onto US 422; PA 271
0.4 mi·53 sec·Benjamin Franklin Highway
10
Continue on US 422
43 mi·56 min·Ben Franklin Highway
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit onto US 422
39 mi·52 min·US 422
12
Turn left
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward I 79 North: Erie
13
Merge onto I 79
84 mi·1 hr 29 min·I 79
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·49 sec
Exit 183AToward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
15
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290
2.3 mi·4 min·West 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn left onto State Street
0.4 mi·1 min·State Street
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
State Street
Trip Plan
To make the most of your 3-hour and 50-minute journey, plan for at least one dedicated stop to stretch your legs and refresh. Since the trip is relatively compact, you have the flexibility to depart whenever fits your schedule, though avoiding peak traffic hours on major arteries like I-79 will ensure a smoother experience. Keep your $30 fuel budget in mind as you plan your stops, especially if you prefer to top off before hitting the longer interstate stretches. Given that the longest segment covers 83.6 miles, prioritize your rest break somewhere in the middle to stay sharp behind the wheel. Because this is a single-day trip, pack light and focus your energy on arriving in Erie with plenty of time to enjoy your destination.
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 91.2 miles from East Conemaugh, PA, or about 2h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 83.6 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 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 91.2 miles or 2h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 11m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Erie, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving East Conemaugh, 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 East Conemaugh, PA
This is one driving day of about 182.4 miles and 3h 50m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 40 miles from East Conemaugh, 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 I 79 for about 83.6 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 181.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|PA 271 / 2nd Street
Turn right onto PA 271 / 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
5
95.8 mi into trip|~2h 13m in|I 79
Merge onto I 79
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
179.4 mi into trip|~3h 43m in
Take the exit toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 183A
Toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
5
179.6 mi into trip|~3h 44m in|PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
181.9 mi into trip|~3h 48m in|State Street
Turn left onto State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.24 one way
$60.48 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg64 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$33.12
$66.24
premium
$4.93
$35.37
$70.75
diesel
$5.61
$40.27
$80.54
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: 63.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
54.7
0
$19.15
$8.76
Efficient EV
45.6
0
$15.96
$7.30
EV Truck/SUV
73
0
$25.54
$11.67
Gas CO2
64 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 Apr 18, 2026
Origin
East Conemaugh, PA
Morning
in East Conemaugh on Sunday
Local time
10:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Erie, PA
Morning
in Erie on Sunday
Local time
10:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 16 to 20 mph94% 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
2 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 50m 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.
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
National Memorial
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together...
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a drive defined by a mix of quick highway segments and essential regional roads, with about 67% of the journey spent on highways. The route features a notable longest stretch of 83.6 miles on I-79, where you can settle into a steady cruising speed. As you transition between the Ben Franklin Highway and US-422, the road environment shifts from local corridors to high-capacity lanes. While the route is highway-focused, the variation in road types keeps the drive from feeling like a monotonous interstate grind. You will find that the personality of the road evolves as you move through the Pennsylvania landscape, requiring you to stay attentive to changing speed limits and traffic flow.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 83.6 mi on I 79.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 79 and Ben Franklin Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near PA 271 / 2nd 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 3h 50m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (PA 271 / 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 95.8 miles (I 79): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 179.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The longest stretch is about 83.6 miles on I 79. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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: near the start (PA 271 / 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 95.8 miles (I 79): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 179.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Flight 93 National Memorial. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Erie, PA, but most travelers stay overnight.
