Origin
Lake City, PA
Morning in Lake City on Sunday
Local time
9:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake City, PA to Erie, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
16.5 mi
27 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake City, PA
Robert So
Erie, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Lake City and Erie, this 17.8-mile connection is a straightforward trip that takes about 29 minutes. The route utilizes local infrastructure, primarily Lake Street, West Lake Road, and West 12th Street, rather than major interstates. Because the entire journey spans less than half an hour, you can easily complete this drive as a simple day trip without needing an overnight stay. Budgeting about $3 for fuel should be sufficient to cover the distance comfortably. It is a practical, no-frills transit between these two Pennsylvania locations, ideal for travelers who prefer local roads over highway traffic.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Lake Road | 9.1 mi | 15m |
| West 12th Street | 6.3 mi | 12m |
| Lake Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| State Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
West Lake Road
— 9.1 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake City, PA and Erie, PA.
1
Start on PA 18
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
2
Keep slight right at fork onto PA 18
204 ft
·
6 sec
·
Lake Street
3
Turn straight onto PA 5
8.0 mi
·
13 min
·
West Lake Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Enter roundabout onto PA 5
105 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Lake Road
5
Continue on PA 5
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Lake Road
6
Continue on PA 5
6.3 mi
·
12 min
·
West 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto State Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
Use the left lane.
8
Arrive at destination
State Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 16.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
PA 18 / Lake Street
Keep slight right at fork onto PA 18 / Lake Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
PA 5 / West Lake Road
Turn straight onto PA 5 / West Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
8.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
PA 5 / West Lake Road
Enter roundabout onto PA 5 / West Lake Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
16.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
State Street
Turn left onto State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.74 one way
$5.47 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.00 | $5.99 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.64 | $7.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Erie, PA
Morning in Erie on Sunday
Local time
9:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 13 to 17 mph
61% chance
Live forecast
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
5 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
31m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate grind, this route has a highway share of 0%, meaning you will spend your entire journey navigating local streets. You will find no long, straight stretches here, as the longest uninterrupted segment is 0 miles on Lake Street. The road requires your full attention as you move through these Northeast Pennsylvania areas. The character of the drive is defined by frequent turns rather than sustained speeds, making it a functional rather than relaxing experience.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.1 mi on West Lake Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.7 miles in near PA 18 / Lake Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 31m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (PA 18 / Lake Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles (PA 5 / West Lake Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (PA 5 / West Lake Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Arriving in Erie, PA
Full guide →Erie is a city of about 100,000 in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's only lake port on the Great Lakes (Lake Erie).
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 16.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.1 miles on West Lake Road. 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: at 0.7 miles (PA 18 / Lake Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles (PA 5 / West Lake Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (PA 5 / West Lake Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Erie, PA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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