Manchester, PA to the City of Scranton, PA is 141.6 miles and takes about 2h 55m via American Legion Memorial Highway and I-83, with a fuel budget near $23 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region and across Pennsylvania, primarily utilizing surface roads for a more connected feel to the towns you pass through. With only one recommended stop and a relatively short drive time, it's a straightforward trip for a single day. Plan for a comfortable drive that offers a good balance of highway cruising and local road navigation.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
70.8 miles from Manchester, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 30m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
American Legion Memorial Highway
113.7 mi
2h 13m
I 83
21.4 mi
27m
Locust Point Road
2.2 mi
5m
Zions View Road
1.2 mi
2m
River Street
1 mi
1m
South Main Street
0.4 mi
<1m
High Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 113.7 mi, about 2h 13m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 22 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,332 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,711
Quietest
2 AM
~304 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 49 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 Manchester, PA and City of Scranton, PA.
1
Start on High Street
0.2 mi·34 sec·High Street
2
Turn right onto PA 921
476 ft·13 sec·Maple Street
3
Turn left onto PA 181; PA 921
0.4 mi·41 sec·South Main Street
4
Turn right onto PA 921
0.1 mi·14 sec·Musser Street
5
Continue on PA 921
1.2 mi·2 min·Zions View Road
6
Turn right onto Locust Point Road
2.2 mi·5 min·Locust Point Road
7
At end of road, turn left onto PA 297
121 ft·6 sec·Susquehanna Trail
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward I 83 North: Harrisburg
9
Merge onto I 83
17 mi·22 min·I 83
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit onto I 83
4.0 mi·5 min·I 83
Toward I 83 North, US 322 West: Hazleton, State CollegeUse the slight left lane.
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi·47 sec
Exit 51BToward I 81 North: Hazleton, Allentown
12
Merge onto I 81
114 mi·2 hr 13 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward PA 307
14
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi·1 min·River Street
15
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi·18 sec·Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
Cedar Avenue
Trip Plan
Given the 2h 55m duration, leaving Manchester, PA in the morning allows ample time to reach Scranton, PA well before evening. The route has only one recommended stop, so you can be flexible with your timing and enjoy the drive without feeling rushed. Pay attention to your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $23, and it’s always wise to top off before you leave or when you see a good price. Since the longest continuous stretch is over 100 miles on the American Legion Memorial Highway, make sure you're comfortable with that segment before departing.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 70.8 miles from Manchester, PA, or about 1h 30m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 113.7 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 31 miles or 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 70.8 miles or 1h 30m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 24m
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 Manchester, 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 Manchester, PA
This is one driving day of about 141.6 miles and 2h 55m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 miles from Manchester, 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 American Legion Memorial Highway for about 113.7 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.3 and 141.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.3 mi into trip|~9m in|PA 297 / Susquehanna Trail
At end of road, turn left onto PA 297 / Susquehanna Trail
Navigation decision point
5
4.3 mi into trip|~9m in
Take the ramp toward I 83 North: Harrisburg
Navigation decision point
Toward I 83 North: Harrisburg
7
22 mi into trip|~32m in|I 83
Take the exit onto I 83 toward I 83 North, US 322 West: Hazleton, State College
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 83 North, US 322 West: Hazleton, State...
6
26 mi into trip|~37m in
Take the exit toward I 81 North: Hazleton, Allentown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 51B
Toward I 81 North: Hazleton, Allentown
7
141.4 mi into trip|~2h 54m 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
$23.10 one way
$46.20 round trip
$4.14/gal25.4 MPG avg50 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.56
$25.40
$50.81
premium
$4.86
$27.11
$54.22
diesel
$5.40
$30.12
$60.24
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 49.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
42.5
0
$14.87
$6.80
Efficient EV
35.4
0
$12.39
$5.66
EV Truck/SUV
56.6
0
$19.82
$9.06
Gas CO2
50 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (66% 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 25, 2026
Origin
Manchester, PA
Morning
in Manchester on Sunday
Local time
10:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Rain
SE 9 to 14 mph100% chanceLive forecast
Destination
City of Scranton, PA
Morning
in City of Scranton on Sunday
Local time
10:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Rain Showers
SE 6 to 10 mph98% chanceLive forecast
37°F
Williamstown, PA
71 mi in
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
8 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
2h 55m 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...
6 mi from route
~14 min detour
Free
near mile 43.9
Park Closure: List of trail closures post-Hurricane Helene
Caution: Black Bears Frequenting the McAfee Knob Area in Virginia
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
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...
16 mi from route
~41 min detour
Free
near mile 14.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly surface roads, with only about 15% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 113.7 miles on the American Legion Memorial Highway before transitioning to other main roads like I-83. Expect to encounter frequent intersections and varying speed limits as you move from more open stretches to areas with more local traffic. The bulk of the driving will be on roads that go through communities rather than bypassing them.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 113.7 mi on American Legion Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.3 miles in near PA 297 / Susquehanna Trail.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 141.6 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.3 miles (PA 297 / Susquehanna Trail): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 22 miles (I 83): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Manchester, PA and City of Scranton, PA, road signs point toward State College and Allentown.
State College
22 mi in|~32m|via I 83
Allentown
26 mi in|~37m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 55m. Total distance: 141.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (15%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 113.7 miles on American Legion Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 16 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 4.3 miles (PA 297 / Susquehanna Trail): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 22 miles (I 83): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at City of Scranton, PA before heading back.
