The drive from Hegins, PA to Scranton, PA covers 79.9 miles and takes about 1h 40m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 81, East Main Street, River Street for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 71.9 miles on I 81.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.04 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
40 miles from Hegins, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 81
71.9 mi
1h 25m
East Main Street
5.7 mi
10m
River Street
1 mi
1m
Shermans Mountain Road
0.3 mi
<1m
Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Biden Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Adams Avenue
0.1 mi
<1m
Wyoming Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 71.9 mi, about 1h 25m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,824 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,145
Quietest
2 AM
~183 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 48 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 Hegins, PA and Scranton, PA.
1
Start on PA 125
5 ft·2 sec·South Good Spring Road
2
Turn right onto PA 25
5.7 mi·10 min·East Main Street
3
Continue on PA 25
0.3 mi·36 sec·Shermans Mountain Road
4
Turn left
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward I 81 North: Hazleton
5
Merge onto I 81
72 mi·1 hr 25 min·I 81
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward PA 307
7
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi·1 min·River Street
8
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi·31 sec·Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on Adams Avenue
0.1 mi·17 sec·Adams Avenue
10
Turn left onto Biden Street
0.2 mi·25 sec·Biden Street
11
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
135 ft·4 sec·Wyoming Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
Wyoming Avenue
Trip Plan
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 40 miles from Hegins, PA, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 71.9 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 18 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 40 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Scranton, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hegins, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Hegins, PA
This is one driving day of about 79.9 miles and 1h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Hegins, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 81 for about 71.9 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 79.9 — 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 25 / East Main Street
Turn right onto PA 25 / East Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
6 mi into trip|~11m in
Turn left toward I 81 North: Hazleton
Navigation decision point
Toward I 81 North: Hazleton
7
79.3 mi into trip|~1h 39m in|Cedar Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
79.7 mi into trip|~1h 39m in|Biden Street
Turn left onto Biden Street
Navigation decision point
5
79.9 mi into trip|~1h 40m in|Wyoming Avenue
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.04 one way
$26.07 round trip
$4.14/gal25.4 MPG avg28 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.56
$14.33
$28.67
premium
$4.86
$15.30
$30.59
diesel
$5.40
$17.00
$33.99
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
EV Charging Along Route
12 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Laurel Mall - Tesla Supercharger
Hazleton, PA
Tesla
12 DCFC
Shell Station - Tesla Supercharger
Drums, PA
Tesla
12 DCFC
Wilkes-Barre Township Commons - Tesla Supercharger
Wilkes-Barre Township, PA
Tesla
12 DCFC
Scranton, PA Rechargery @ Sheetz - Scranton Carbondale Hwy
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24
0
$8.39
$3.84
Efficient EV
20
0
$6.99
$3.20
EV Truck/SUV
32
0
$11.19
$5.11
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (68% 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 26, 2026
Origin
Hegins, PA
Evening
in Hegins on Sunday
Local time
6:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Partly Sunny
NE 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Scranton, PA
Evening
in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
6:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Sunny
NE 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
6 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 40m 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.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
17 mi from route
~42 min detour
Free
near mile 2.8
Park Closure: List of trail closures post-Hurricane Helene
Caution: Black Bears Frequenting the McAfee Knob Area in Virginia
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
79.9 mi in 1h 40m, mostly highway — 71.9 mi of that is on I 81.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 71.9 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and East Main Street. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near PA 25 / East Main Street.
Driving Effort1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Hegins, PA to Scranton, PA is easy. At 1h 40m with 90% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (PA 25 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 79.3 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Scranton is a city in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is near Wilkes-Barre, and is the seventh most populous city in the state. Today, it is perhaps best known as the setting of the hit TV show "The Office" and the birthplace of Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States.
Top landmarks
•St. Peter's Cathedral — historic church in Pennsylvania, United States
•Steamtown National Historic Site — railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania
•Albright Memorial Building — library in Scranton, Pennsylvania
The longest stretch is about 71.9 miles on I 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (PA 25 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 79.3 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scranton, PA before heading back.
