Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 21m
Distance
196.2 mi
316 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$33
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hempfield, PA
Jack Pace
Saint Marys, PA
RDNE Stock project
Hempfield, PA to Saint Marys, PA is 196.2 miles and takes about 4h 21m via US 322 and US 22, with a fuel budget near $33 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Pennsylvania for its entirety, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a drive that is mostly on highways, making for a relatively straightforward trip. With a recommended single day for travel, this is a practical option for getting between these locations without needing an overnight stay.
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
98.1 miles from Hempfield, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 7m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 322 | 54.4 mi | 1h 7m |
| US 22 | 24.5 mi | 32m |
| PA 283 | 20.6 mi | 23m |
| Mount Nittany Expressway | 17.5 mi | 21m |
| Keystone Shortway | 11.6 mi | 12m |
| Bennetts Valley Highway | 10.5 mi | 16m |
| Port Matilda Highway | 10.1 mi | 14m |
| Million Dollar Highway | 8.3 mi | 12m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,121 veh/hr typical · worst 2,562
Quietest
1 AM
~204 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Hempfield, PA and Saint Marys, PA.
Start on Summit Drive
Continue on Summit Drive
Turn right onto PA 23
Turn left onto Ivy Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Stony Battery Road
Turn left onto West Main Street
Continue on Old Harrisburg Pike
Turn straight onto South Esbenshade Road
Continue on Esbenshade Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto PA 283
Take the exit
Merge onto I 283
Keep slight right at fork onto I 283
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on I 83
Continue on US 322
Take the exit onto US 322
Keep slight right at fork onto US 322
Keep slight left at fork onto US 22; US 322
Continue on US 322; PA 144 Truck
Continue on US 322; PA 144 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto US 322
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 322
Turn right onto US 322; PA 53
Continue on US 322; PA 53
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 322
Turn right onto PA 970
Take the exit
Merge onto I 80
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto PA 153
Turn right onto PA 255
Continue on PA 255
Continue on PA 255
Turn straight onto PA 255
Continue on PA 120; PA 255
Turn right onto PA 120; PA 255
Arrive at destination
Given the 4h 21m estimated drive time, leaving Hempfield in the morning should allow you to reach Saint Marys with plenty of daylight to spare. The single recommended day means you have flexibility; consider an early start to maximize your time at your destination. With a fuel cost estimated at $33, it's wise to fill up before you leave Hempfield or at a point along US 22, as the longest stretch on US 322 is over 50 miles. Keep an eye out for the transition points between highway and surface roads, as this is where you'll likely need to adjust your speed and attention the most.
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.
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 43 miles or 58m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 98.1 miles or 2h 7m 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 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Marys, PA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Hempfield, 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 Hempfield, PA
This is one driving day of about 196.2 miles and 4h 21m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
98 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 98.1 miles from Hempfield, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 29.6 and 88.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto I 283 toward I 83 North, US 322
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 83 North, US 322 West: Hazleton, State College
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit onto US 322 toward US 22 East, PA 230 East, US 22 West, US 322 West: Harrisburg, Lewistown, State College
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto US 322 toward US 22 West, US 322 West: Lewistown, State College
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto US 22; US 322 toward US 22 West, US 322 West: Mount Union, State College
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$32.78 one way
$65.56 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $36.08 | $72.16 |
| premium | $5.01 | $38.71 | $77.43 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $43.25 | $86.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 68.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 58.9 | 0 | $20.60 | $9.42 |
| Efficient EV | 49.1 | 0 | $17.17 | $7.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 78.5 | 0 | $27.47 | $12.56 |
Gas CO2
69 kg
EV CO2
23 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Hempfield on Friday
Local time
3:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Mostly Cloudy
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 2:30AM EDT until September 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Afternoon in Saint Marys on Friday
Local time
3:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Cloudy
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 2:30AM EDT until September 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
About 63% of this drive is on highways, meaning you'll encounter a good amount of faster-paced travel. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 54.4 miles, primarily on US 322. You'll transition to surface roads for portions of the trip, so be prepared for more frequent intersections and potentially slower speeds as you move between highway segments.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 322 and US 22. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 29.6 miles in near I 283.
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 23 significant decision points across 196.2 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 29.6 miles (I 283): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 29.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.2 miles (US 322): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
2,965 ft
Total Descent
1,853 ft
Highest Point
2,146 ft
~168.2 mi in
Elevation Range
1,791 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hempfield, PA and Saint Marys, PA, road signs point toward State College, Lewistown and Penfield.
State College
Lewistown
Penfield
St. Marys is a city in Elk County, Pennsylvania, part of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Sitting near the center of the Pennsylvania Wilds region, St. Marys provides a great jumping-off point for visits to the area's parks, forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 21m. Total distance: 196.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
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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