Origin
Luzerne, PA
Morning in Luzerne on Sunday
Local time
8:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Luzerne, PA to Scranton, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
20.9 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Luzerne, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick connection between Luzerne and Scranton, this 20.9-mile trip is a straightforward journey through Pennsylvania’s Northeast region. You can easily complete the drive in about 29 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. With fuel costs estimated at $3, the route is highly economical for travelers. Since the drive is quite short, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics or complex planning. It serves as a practical link between these two Northeast locations, relying on a mix of local roads and major interstate travel to get you to your destination efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 13.3 mi | 15m |
| PA 309 | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| River Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Union Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Cedar Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| PA 115 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Biden Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 13.3 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Luzerne, PA and Scranton, PA.
1
Start on Main Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on Union Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Union Street
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
4
Merge onto PA 309
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
PA 309
5
Continue on PA 115
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
PA 115
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
7
Merge onto I 81
13 mi
·
15 min
·
I 81
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward PA 307
9
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
River Street
10
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on Adams Avenue
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Adams Avenue
12
Turn left onto Biden Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Biden Street
13
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
135 ft
·
4 sec
·
Wyoming Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
Wyoming Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 20.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
PA 309
Merge onto PA 309
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
19.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward PA 307
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward PA 307
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Cedar Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
20.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Biden Street
Turn left onto Biden Street
Navigation decision point
5
20.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
Wyoming Avenue
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.46 one way
$6.93 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.79 | $7.59 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.05 | $8.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.61 | $9.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.93 | $1.34 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Scranton, PA
Morning in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
8:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
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
7 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
29m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is heavily highway-focused, with 84% of your time spent on major thoroughfares like I-81, PA-309, and River Street. You will find yourself settling into a steady rhythm, particularly during the 13.3-mile stretch on I-81, which represents the longest uninterrupted portion of the drive. The personality of the road transitions from local access on River Street and PA-309 to the faster, high-speed environment of the interstate. Expect a functional, no-nonsense experience behind the wheel that prioritizes speed and directness over winding scenic detours. It is an ideal route if your main goal is simply to bridge the gap between these two Pennsylvania towns as quickly as possible.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.3 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and PA 309. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near PA 309.
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 29m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (PA 309): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 20.3 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
982 ft
547 ft
Total Climb
557 ft
Total Descent
424 ft
Highest Point
982 ft
~19.5 mi in
Elevation Range
436 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Scranton, PA
Full guide →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.
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 29m. Total distance: 20.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.3 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: at 0.9 miles (PA 309): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 20.3 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.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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