Knox, PA to the City of Scranton, PA is 244.2 miles and takes about 4h 34m via Keystone Shortway and I 81, with a fuel budget near $41 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting the Northeast region with itself. You'll spend most of your time on surface roads, with a shorter segment on the highway. It's a straightforward drive for a single day, making it a convenient option for getting between these two points.
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
122.1 miles from Knox, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 16m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
205.5 mi
3h 41m
I 81
32.4 mi
39m
PA 338
1.6 mi
2m
Knox Road
1 mi
2m
River Street
1 mi
1m
Canoe Ripple Road
0.7 mi
1m
Main Street
0.5 mi
1m
Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 205.5 mi, about 3h 41m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,076 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,513
Quietest
2 AM
~191 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 104 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 Knox, PA and City of Scranton, PA.
1
Start on Main Street
0.5 mi·1 min·Main Street
2
Continue on Knox Road
1.0 mi·2 min·Knox Road
3
Turn right onto PA 338
1.6 mi·2 min·PA 338
4
Turn left onto Canoe Ripple Road
0.7 mi·1 min·Canoe Ripple Road
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·48 sec
6
Merge onto I 80
205 mi·3 hr 41 min·Keystone Shortway
7
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 260BToward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
8
Merge onto I 81
32 mi·39 min·I 81
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward PA 307
10
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi·1 min·River Street
11
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi·18 sec·Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
Cedar Avenue
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 34m duration, you can easily complete this trip in one day. Aim to depart in the morning to maximize daylight, especially since a large portion is on surface roads. You'll have one recommended stop, so plan to break up the drive around the 205.5-mile mark on the Keystone Shortway where the highway portion ends. Keep an eye on your fuel as you approach the longer surface road sections, as stations might be less frequent than on interstates. The $41 fuel cost is a good estimate for planning.
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 122.1 miles from Knox, PA, or about 2h 16m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 205.5 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 54 miles or 1h 2m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 122.1 miles or 2h 16m 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 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near City of Scranton, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Knox, 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 Knox, PA
This is one driving day of about 244.2 miles and 4h 34m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 54 miles from Knox, 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 205.5 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 1.5 and 244 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1.5 mi into trip|~3m in|PA 338
Turn right onto PA 338
Navigation decision point
4
3.1 mi into trip|~6m in|Canoe Ripple Road
Turn left onto Canoe Ripple Road
Navigation decision point
5
209.7 mi into trip|~3h 50m in
Take the exit toward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 260B
Toward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
4
242.9 mi into trip|~4h 32m in
Take the exit toward PA 307
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward PA 307
7
244 mi into trip|~4h 34m in|Cedar Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.65 one way
$85.30 round trip
$4.44/gal25.4 MPG avg85 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.86
$46.70
$93.39
premium
$5.20
$49.96
$99.91
diesel
$6.28
$60.34
$120.68
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 85.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
73.3
0
$25.64
$11.72
Efficient EV
61.1
0
$21.37
$9.77
EV Truck/SUV
97.7
1
$34.19
$15.63
Gas CO2
85 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Oct 20, 2026
Origin
Knox, PA
Morning
in Knox on Thursday
Local time
7:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Sunny
NE 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
City of Scranton, PA
Morning
in City of Scranton on Thursday
Local time
7:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Sunny
N 5 to 9 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
3 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
4h 34m 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 mostly surface roads, with only 14% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a substantial stretch of 205.5 miles on the Keystone Shortway before transitioning to surface roads like PA 338. Expect a more rural cruising feel for the majority of the trip, with fewer exits compared to a full interstate experience.
Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 205.5 mi on Keystone Shortway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 1.5 miles in near PA 338.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 34m 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 1.5 miles (PA 338): Navigation decision point; at 3.1 miles (Canoe Ripple Road): Navigation decision point; at 209.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The longest stretch is about 205.5 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 33 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.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (PA 338): Navigation decision point; at 3.1 miles (Canoe Ripple Road): Navigation decision point; at 209.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 4.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.2 hours — manageable with a long break at City of Scranton, PA, but most travelers stay overnight.
