Erie to Cranberry is 314.5 miles and takes about 5h 48m via Keystone Shortway, with a fuel budget near $53 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, traveling from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a drive that's mostly on surface roads, offering a chance to see the landscape at a more relaxed pace. With a single recommended day, this route is ideal for a straightforward trip where you can get from point A to point B without much fuss.
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
157.3 miles from Erie, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 53m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
236.3 mi
4h 14m
Raymond P Shafer Highway
66.8 mi
1h 11m
State Route 93
3.7 mi
7m
West 12th Street
2 mi
4m
Susquehanna Boulevard
1.9 mi
2m
North Broad Street
0.7 mi
1m
Valmont Parkway
0.6 mi
1m
Berwick Hazleton Highway
0.6 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 236.3 mi, about 4h 14m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 30 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,099 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,466
Quietest
2 AM
~186 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 Erie, PA and Cranberry, PA.
1
Start on State Street
0.4 mi·1 min·State Street
2
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290
2.0 mi·4 min·West 12th Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn right onto Greengarden Boulevard
0.1 mi·23 sec·Greengarden Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto West Bayfront Parkway
0.2 mi·20 sec·West Bayfront Parkway
5
Continue on I 79
67 mi·1 hr 11 min·Raymond P Shafer Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·59 sec
Toward I 80 East: Clarion
7
Merge onto I 80
236 mi·4 hr 14 min·Keystone Shortway
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward PA 93: Conyngham, Nescopeck
9
Keep slight right at fork
444 ft·11 sec
10
Turn straight onto PA 93
0.6 mi·57 sec·Berwick Hazleton Highway
11
Continue on PA 93
3.7 mi·7 min·State Route 93
12
Continue on PA 93
0.6 mi·1 min·Valmont Parkway
13
Continue on PA 93
1.9 mi·2 min·Susquehanna Boulevard
14
Continue on PA 93
0.7 mi·1 min·North Broad Street
15
Continue on Harwood Road
0.3 mi·41 sec·Harwood Road
16
Turn right onto Old Cranberry Road
408 ft·18 sec·Old Cranberry Road
17
Arrive at destination
Old Cranberry Road
Trip Plan
Given the 5h 48m estimated drive time, leaving in the morning will comfortably get you to Cranberry before evening. You'll have one main road, the Keystone Shortway, for a significant portion of the trip, so keep an eye on your fuel levels as you'll want to top off before hitting the longest stretch. While a single day is recommended, the route is manageable enough that you could potentially break it up with a brief stop if desired, but it's not strictly necessary. The fuel cost is estimated at $53, so factor that into your budget.
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 157.3 miles from Erie, PA, or about 2h 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 236.3 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 69 miles or 1h 17m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 157.3 miles or 2h 53m 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 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cranberry, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Erie, 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 Erie, PA
This is one driving day of about 314.5 miles and 5h 48m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 69 miles from Erie, 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 236.3 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 0.4 and 306.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip|~1m 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 lane.
6
2.4 mi into trip|~5m in|Greengarden Boulevard
Turn right onto Greengarden Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
2.6 mi into trip|~6m in|West Bayfront Parkway
Turn left onto West Bayfront Parkway
Navigation decision point
5
306.3 mi into trip|~5h 33m in
Take the exit toward PA 93: Conyngham, Nescopeck
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward PA 93: Conyngham, Nescopeck
5
306.5 mi into trip|~5h 34m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$52.76 one way
$105.52 round trip
$4.26/gal25.4 MPG avg110 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.69
$58.12
$116.24
premium
$4.98
$61.70
$123.40
diesel
$5.06
$62.64
$125.28
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$53
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$78–$103
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 110 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-15.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
94.4
1
$33.02
$15.10
Efficient EV
78.6
0
$27.52
$12.58
EV Truck/SUV
125.8
1
$44.03
$20.13
Gas CO2
110 kg
EV CO2
37 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 Jun 13, 2026
Origin
Erie, PA
Evening
in Erie on Wednesday
Local time
6:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Clear
SW 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Cranberry, PA
Evening
in Cranberry on Wednesday
Local time
6:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Mostly Clear
NW 5 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
4 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
5h 48m 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?
This route is primarily surface roads, with highway driving making up 100% of the trip. You'll experience a long stretch of 236.3 miles on the Keystone Shortway, which is the main artery for much of this drive. Since it's mostly surface roads, be prepared for more frequent intersections and traffic signals compared to a pure interstate experience.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 236.3 mi on Keystone Shortway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.4 miles in near PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 48m 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 0.4 miles (PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (Greengarden Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (West Bayfront Parkway): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 236.3 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 35 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 35 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (Greengarden Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (West Bayfront Parkway): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.8 hours each way, a round trip means 11.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Cranberry, PA before the return drive.
