Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
22.6 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Harrisburg, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Carlisle, PA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Harrisburg, PA to Carlisle, PA covers 22.6 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on American Legion Memorial Highway, George N. Wade Memorial Bridge, North Cameron Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17 miles on American Legion Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.78 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| American Legion Memorial Highway | 17 mi | 20m |
| George N. Wade Memorial Bridge | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Cameron Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East High Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| West Trindle Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North 7th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Maclay Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 28 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,799 veh/hr typical · worst 3,338
Quietest
1 AM
~358 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 98 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Harrisburg, PA and Carlisle, PA.
Start on North 7th Street
Enter roundabout onto North 7th Street
Continue on North 7th Street
Turn right onto Maclay Street
Turn left onto US 22
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 81
Continue on I 81
Continue on I 81
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto PA 641
Continue on PA 641
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Enter roundabout onto North 7th Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Take the exit toward I 81 South, I 81 North, US 322 East: Carlisle, Hazleton, Allentown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 81 South: Carlisle
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward PA 641: High Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward PA 641: High St
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$3.78 one way
$7.55 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $4.16 | $8.31 |
| premium | $5.01 | $4.46 | $8.92 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $4.98 | $9.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.37 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.98 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.16 | $1.45 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Harrisburg on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Late night in Carlisle on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
22.6 mi in 32m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North 7th Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 22.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North 7th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
263 ft
Total Descent
121 ft
Highest Point
500 ft
~6.5 mi in
Elevation Range
168 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Harrisburg, PA and Carlisle, PA, road signs point toward Hazleton and Allentown.
Hazleton
Allentown
Founded 1719
Harrisburg is the capital and 4th-largest metropolitan area of Pennsylvania, with a metro population of 592,000 people in 2020. Harrisburg is known as the host city of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest free indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, the largest annual outdoor sports show in North America, an auto show, which features a large static display of new and classic cars, and Motorama, a two-day event consisting of a car show, motocross racing, and remote control car racing.
Top landmarks
Founded 1751
Carlisle is a city in the Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania. Settled by Europeans in 1751, it is the seat of Cumberland County and home of Dickinson College.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 22.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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