Grove City, PA to Altoona, PA is 124 miles and takes about 2h 53m via US 422, with a fuel budget near $21 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. The drive is primarily on well-traveled highways, offering a straightforward journey. With a recommended one-day duration, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a dedicated segment of a larger road trip. It's a practical choice for getting from point A to point B without significant 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
62 miles from Grove City, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 30m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 422
50.8 mi
1h 9m
Benjamin Franklin Highway
23.2 mi
31m
William Penn Highway
16.4 mi
19m
William Flinn Highway
7.1 mi
9m
I 99
4.4 mi
4m
North Main Street
4 mi
6m
Centreville Pike
4 mi
5m
Grove City Road
3.2 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
US 422
— 50.8 mi, about 1h 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Grove City, PA and Altoona, PA.
1
Start on PA 208
7 ft·4 sec·South Center Street
2
Turn right onto PA 58; PA 173; PA 208
0.3 mi·58 sec·West Main Street
3
Turn right onto PA 173
1.5 mi·3 min·Liberty Street
4
Continue on PA 173
1.9 mi·2 min·Slippery Rock Road
5
Continue on PA 173
3.2 mi·4 min·Grove City Road
6
At end of road, turn right onto PA 108
0.3 mi·1 min·Franklin Street
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto PA 173
0.6 mi·1 min·South Main Street
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on PA 173
4.0 mi·5 min·Centreville Pike
9
Turn slight right
323 ft·5 sec
10
Turn straight onto PA 8
7.1 mi·9 min·William Flinn Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on PA 8
4.0 mi·6 min·North Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi·23 sec
Toward US 422 East: KittanningUse the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto US 422
23 mi·31 min·Benjamin Franklin Highway
14
Take the exit onto US 422
0.3 mi·33 sec·US 422
Toward US 422 East, US 422 Business West: Indiana
15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 422
51 mi·1 hr 8 min·US 422
Use the straight lane.
16
Continue on West High Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West High Street
17
Turn slight right onto Rowena Drive
0.6 mi·1 min·Rowena Drive
18
Merge onto Admiral Peary Highway
0.2 mi·28 sec·Admiral Peary Highway
Toward US 22 East: Hollidaysburg
19
Turn left
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward US 22 East: HollidaysburgUse the left lane.
20
Merge onto US 22
16 mi·19 min·William Penn Highway
21
Continue on this road
0.5 mi·45 sec·this road
Toward I 99, US 220: Altoona, Bedford
22
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi·1 min
Toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona
23
Merge onto I 99; US 220
4.4 mi·4 min·I 99; US 220
24
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward 17th Street
25
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·21 sec
Toward Altoona
26
Turn straight onto 17th Street
1.4 mi·2 min·17th Street
27
Turn right onto PA 764
0.7 mi·1 min·6th Avenue
28
Turn left onto 7th Street
0.2 mi·18 sec·7th Street
29
Arrive at destination
7th Street
Trip Plan
Given the manageable 2h 53m duration, you can comfortably complete this drive in a single day. Leaving Grove City in the morning will give you ample time to reach Altoona with daylight to spare. Consider starting your journey after morning rush hour to ensure a smoother departure. While there's only one recommended stop, you can easily add more breaks as needed since the drive isn't overly long. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially before embarking on the longest stretch of 50.8 miles on US 422, to avoid any unexpected delays.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 62 miles from Grove City, PA, or about 1h 30m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50.8 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 27 miles or 42m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 62 miles or 1h 30m 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 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Altoona, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Grove City, 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 Grove City, PA
This is one driving day of about 124 miles and 2h 53m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Grove City, 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 US 422 for about 50.8 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 18
5 decision points cluster between mile 6.9 and 98.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
6.9 mi into trip|~11m in|PA 108 / Franklin Street
At end of road, turn right onto PA 108 / Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
7.2 mi into trip|~12m in|PA 173 / South Main Street
Turn left onto PA 173 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
22.9 mi into trip|~36m in
Take the exit toward US 422 East: Kittanning
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 422 East: Kittanning
6
46.6 mi into trip|~1h 9m in|US 422
Keep slight right at fork onto US 422
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
98.6 mi into trip|~2h 21m in
Turn left toward US 22 East: Hollidaysburg
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 22 East: Hollidaysburg
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.56 one way
$41.12 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg43 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$22.52
$45.03
premium
$4.93
$24.05
$48.10
diesel
$5.61
$27.38
$54.76
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.2
0
$13.02
$5.95
Efficient EV
31
0
$10.85
$4.96
EV Truck/SUV
49.6
0
$17.36
$7.94
Gas CO2
43 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (65% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Grove City, PA
Morning
in Grove City on Sunday
Local time
9:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Altoona, PA
Morning
in Altoona on Sunday
Local time
9:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
55°F
Ford City, PA
62 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
12 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
2h 53m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 offers a mixed drive experience, with 45% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches of US 422, also known as the Benjamin Franklin Highway and the William Penn Highway, which form the backbone of this trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 50.8 miles on US 422. Expect the road conditions to vary, transitioning between more open highway driving and potentially more localized segments. The character of the drive is generally pragmatic, focusing on efficient travel across Pennsylvania.
45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 50.8 mi on US 422.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.9 miles in near PA 108 / Franklin Street.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 124 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 6.9 miles (PA 108 / Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (PA 173 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Grove City, PA to Altoona, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Bedford along the way.
Altoona is a city in central Pennsylvania. Altoona was founded as a railroad town by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the site of their Altoona Works shops, and its history as a railroad town still shows in the town today despite the decline of the railroad and its eventual absorption into Penn Central, Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 53m. Total distance: 124 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 50.8 miles on US 422. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Altoona, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.9 miles (PA 108 / Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (PA 173 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Altoona, PA before heading back.
