Origin
McDonald, PA
Late night in McDonald on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from McDonald, PA to Pittsburgh, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
16.9 mi
27 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McDonald, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Pittsburgh, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
McDonald, PA to Pittsburgh, PA is 16.9 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Penn-Lincoln Parkway West, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive that offers a practical way to get from one point to another without a significant time commitment. Consider this route if you're looking for an efficient connection between these two locations, especially if you're already in the general vicinity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Penn-Lincoln Parkway West | 7.9 mi | 11m |
| Noblestown Road | 5.1 mi | 10m |
| Baldwin Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| Cowan Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Penn-Lincoln Parkway East | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Boyce Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Grant Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East Lincoln Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Penn-Lincoln Parkway West
— 7.9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between McDonald, PA and Pittsburgh, PA.
1
Start on Sarah Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Sarah Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto Center Avenue
278 ft
·
19 sec
·
Center Avenue
3
Turn sharp left onto East Lincoln Avenue
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
East Lincoln Avenue
4
Continue on Noblestown Road
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Noblestown Road
5
At end of road, turn right onto Noblestown Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Noblestown Road
6
Continue on Noblestown Road
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Noblestown Road
7
At end of road, turn right onto PA 978; Orange Belt
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Noblestown Road
8
Turn straight onto Pinkerton Road
104 ft
·
8 sec
·
Pinkerton Road
9
Turn right onto Baldwin Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Baldwin Road
10
Turn left onto Cowan Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Cowan Road
11
Continue on Boyce Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Boyce Road
12
Take the ramp
342 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 376 East
13
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30
7.9 mi
·
11 min
·
Penn-Lincoln Parkway West
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 376; US 22; US 30
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Toward I 376 East: Monroeville
15
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 71A
Toward Grant Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Continue on Grant Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Grant Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Arrive at destination
Grant Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 16.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Center Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Center Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Lincoln Avenue
Turn sharp left onto East Lincoln Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway West
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway West
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
5
15.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Keep slight right at fork onto I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East toward I 376 East: Monroeville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 376 East: Monroeville
7
16.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Grant Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 71A
Toward Grant Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.80 one way
$5.60 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.28 | $6.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.73 | $7.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 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 | 5.1 | 0 | $1.77 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.37 | $1.08 |
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
Pittsburgh, PA
Late night in Pittsburgh on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
4 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
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 drive is a mixed bag, with about 50% of the journey on highways like the Penn-Lincoln Parkway West. You'll experience a 7.9-mile stretch on the Penn-Lincoln Parkway West, offering a taste of higher-speed travel. The route also incorporates local roads such as Noblestown Road and Baldwin Road, which will likely involve lower speeds and more turns. Expect the road conditions to vary, transitioning from faster parkway driving to more typical urban or suburban street navigation as you approach Pittsburgh.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.9 mi on Penn-Lincoln Parkway West.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Center Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 16.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.2 miles (Center Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East Lincoln Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 8 miles (I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway West): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in McDonald, PA
Full guide →Founded 1865
Arriving in Pittsburgh, PA
Full guide →Founded 1758
The pleasure of Pittsburgh remains a well-kept secret. Though not built up by reputation, the city's unique combination of bridges, steep hills, and broad rivers make it one of the most naturally scenic cities in the country. Cheap food and beer abound in this true sports town and the locals are amazingly friendly. A city of about 303,000 (2021) in Allegheny County, at the center of a metro area of about 2.4 million in southwestern Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is situated at the confluence of three rivers: the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, which meet to form the Ohio River. The city's unique terrain has resulted in an unusual city design and a hodge-podge of unique neighborhood "pockets" with diverse ethnic and architectural heritage.
Top landmarks
- • Carnegie Museum of Natural History — natural history museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- • Allegheny Observatory — historic observatory of the University of Pittsburgh
- • Carnegie Museum of Art — museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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: 16.9 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 (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.9 miles on Penn-Lincoln Parkway West. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Pittsburgh, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 0.2 miles (Center Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East Lincoln Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 8 miles (I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway West): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pittsburgh, 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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