Milton, PA to Scranton, PA is 232.9 miles and takes about 4h 36m via Keystone Shortway and I-81, with a fuel budget near $43 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. The route primarily uses major highways for a good portion of the drive before transitioning to surface roads. Given the relatively short duration and manageable mileage, this is a straightforward drive for a single day. You can expect a predictable drive with minimal complications.
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
116.5 miles from Milton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 24m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
158.5 mi
2h 51m
I 81
32.4 mi
39m
Ridge Avenue
13.4 mi
16m
Porter Road
5.9 mi
10m
PA 536
5 mi
8m
Blinker Parkway
2.8 mi
3m
US 219
2.7 mi
3m
Fairview Road
2.5 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 158.5 mi, about 2h 51m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,116 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,517
Quietest
2 AM
~188 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 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 Milton, PA and City of Scranton, PA.
1
Start on PA 839
0.2 mi·23 sec·PA 839
2
Turn right onto Fairview Road
2.5 mi·5 min·Fairview Road
3
Turn right onto Porter Road
5.9 mi·10 min·Porter Road
4
Turn right onto PA 536
5.0 mi·8 min·PA 536
5
At end of road, turn right onto PA 36
2.2 mi·3 min·North Main Street
6
Continue on PA 36
1.3 mi·1 min·West Mahoning Street
7
Turn left onto US 119
0.2 mi·14 sec·Hampton Avenue
8
Continue on US 119
13 mi·16 min·Ridge Avenue
9
Turn left onto US 119
1.0 mi·1 min·Sykes Street
10
Continue on US 119
2.8 mi·3 min·Blinker Parkway
11
Continue on US 119
523 ft·11 sec·Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway
12
Turn left onto US 219
2.7 mi·3 min·US 219
13
At end of road, turn right onto PA 255
1.4 mi·2 min·East DuBois Avenue
14
Continue on PA 255
1.1 mi·1 min·Bee Line Highway
15
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·40 sec
16
Merge onto I 80
159 mi·2 hr 51 min·Keystone Shortway
17
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 260BToward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
18
Merge onto I 81
32 mi·39 min·I 81
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward PA 307
20
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi·1 min·River Street
21
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi·18 sec·Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Arrive at destination
Cedar Avenue
Trip Plan
For this single-day trip, consider an early morning departure from Milton to maximize daylight driving and avoid potential afternoon traffic. The drive is estimated at 4 hours and 36 minutes, so one planned stop should be sufficient for a break or refueling. The fuel cost is estimated at $43, so check your fuel level before leaving Milton. With 18% highway share, be prepared for the transition from faster highway speeds to more varied surface road conditions, especially as you get closer to Scranton.
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 116.5 miles from Milton, PA, or about 2h 24m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 158.5 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 51 miles or 1h 13m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 116.5 miles or 2h 24m 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 44m
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 Milton, 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 Milton, PA
This is one driving day of about 232.9 miles and 4h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 51 miles from Milton, 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 158.5 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 232.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Fairview Road
Turn right onto Fairview Road
Navigation decision point
4
13.6 mi into trip|~25m in|PA 36 / North Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto PA 36 / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
17 mi into trip|~31m in|US 119 / Hampton Avenue
Turn left onto US 119 / Hampton Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
198.5 mi into trip|~3h 52m 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
7
232.8 mi into trip|~4h 36m 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
$37.14 one way
$74.27 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg82 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$41.10
$82.19
premium
$4.81
$44.09
$88.17
diesel
$4.80
$43.98
$87.95
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 81.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
69.9
0
$24.45
$11.18
Efficient EV
58.2
0
$20.38
$9.32
EV Truck/SUV
93.2
1
$32.61
$14.91
Gas CO2
81 kg
EV CO2
27 kg (67% 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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Milton, PA
Morning
in Milton on Monday
Local time
6:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 12 mph80% chanceLive forecast
Tornado Warning
Tornado Warning issued July 18 at 12:38PM EDT until July 18 at 1:15PM EDT by NWS State College PA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 12:32PM EDT until July 18 at 1:15PM EDT by NWS State College PA
Destination
City of Scranton, PA
Morning
in City of Scranton on Monday
Local time
6:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Smoke
SW 9 to 13 mph100% chanceLive forecast
Tornado Warning
Tornado Warning issued July 18 at 12:38PM EDT until July 18 at 1:15PM EDT by NWS State College PA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 12:32PM EDT until July 18 at 1:15PM EDT by NWS State College PA
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
2 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 36m 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 features a highway share of 18%, meaning you'll spend the majority of your time on surface roads. The longest stretch on a highway is 158.5 miles along the Keystone Shortway. After this significant highway segment, you will transition to more local roads. Expect to navigate through more intersections and potentially slower speeds as you approach your destination.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 158.5 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 0.2 miles in near Fairview Road.
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 36m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Fairview Road): Navigation decision point; at 13.6 miles (PA 36 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 17 miles (US 119 / Hampton Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 158.5 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 26 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 0.2 miles (Fairview Road): Navigation decision point; at 13.6 miles (PA 36 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 17 miles (US 119 / Hampton Avenue): Navigation decision point.
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.
