Oakmont, PA to City of Scranton, PA is 285 miles and takes about 5h 36m via Keystone Shortway and I 81, with a fuel budget near $47 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a mix of highway and surface road driving, making for a varied trip. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, this drive is well-suited for a single-day excursion. Consider this a straightforward connection between two points in the state, with no major deviations required.
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
142.5 miles from Oakmont, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 56m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
180.6 mi
3h 15m
PA 28
36.7 mi
54m
I 81
32.4 mi
39m
Allegheny Valley Expressway
24.9 mi
30m
US 422
5.1 mi
6m
River Street
1 mi
1m
Freeport Road
0.8 mi
1m
PA 28 Truck
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 180.6 mi, about 3h 15m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,102 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,486
Quietest
2 AM
~187 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 Oakmont, PA and City of Scranton, PA.
1
Start on Allegheny River Boulevard
0.3 mi·37 sec·Allegheny River Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Yellow Belt
0.2 mi·30 sec·Hulton Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on Yellow Belt
0.3 mi·45 sec·Hulton Bridge
4
Turn right onto Yellow Belt
0.8 mi·1 min·Freeport Road
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto PA 910
0.2 mi·21 sec·Indianola Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·41 sec
Toward PA 28 North: New Kensington, Tarentum
7
Merge onto PA 28
25 mi·30 min·Allegheny Valley Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi·52 sec
Toward US 422 East, PA 28 North: Kittanning, Indiana
9
Merge onto US 422; PA 28
5.1 mi·6 min·US 422; PA 28
10
Continue on PA 28; PA 66
37 mi·54 min·PA 28; PA 66
11
Take the ramp onto PA 28 Truck
0.4 mi·46 sec·PA 28 Truck
12
Merge onto I 80; PA 28 Truck
181 mi·3 hr 15 min·Keystone Shortway
13
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 260BToward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
14
Merge onto I 81
32 mi·39 min·I 81
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward PA 307
16
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi·1 min·River Street
17
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.2 mi·18 sec·Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
Cedar Avenue
Trip Plan
For this 5h 36m drive, leaving in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight. The route has only one recommended stop, so you can adjust your pacing as needed. Given the 285-mile distance, it's easily achievable in a single day. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 180.6-mile stretch on the Keystone Shortway, as services might be less frequent. Planning to refuel before embarking on that longer segment will prevent any unexpected delays.
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 142.5 miles from Oakmont, PA, or about 2h 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 180.6 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 63 miles or 1h 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 142.5 miles or 2h 56m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 34m
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 Oakmont, 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 Oakmont, PA
This is one driving day of about 285 miles and 5h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 63 miles from Oakmont, 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 180.6 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 0.3 and 284.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|Yellow Belt / Hulton Road
Turn left onto Yellow Belt / Hulton Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.8 mi into trip|~1m in|Yellow Belt / Freeport Road
Turn right onto Yellow Belt / Freeport Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
2.2 mi into trip|~4m in|PA 28 / Allegheny Valley Expressway
Merge onto PA 28 / Allegheny Valley Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
27.1 mi into trip|~35m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 422 East, PA 28 North: Kittanning, Indiana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 422 East, PA 28 North: Kittanning, In...
7
284.8 mi into trip|~5h 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
$45.44 one way
$90.89 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg100 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$50.29
$100.58
premium
$4.81
$53.95
$107.90
diesel
$4.80
$53.81
$107.63
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$45
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$70–$95
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 99.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
85.5
1
$29.93
$13.68
Efficient EV
71.3
0
$24.94
$11.40
EV Truck/SUV
114
1
$39.90
$18.24
Gas CO2
100 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Oakmont, PA
Evening
in Oakmont on Monday
Local time
8:37 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Smoke
SE 5 mph52% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 17 at 3:59PM EDT until July 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 1:40PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
City of Scranton, PA
Evening
in City of Scranton on Monday
Local time
8:37 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Areas Of Smoke
E 0 to 3 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 17 at 3:59PM EDT until July 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 1:40PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
62°F
Clearfield, PA
143 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
6 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
5h 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?
About 35% of this 285-mile drive is on highways. You'll experience the longest continuous stretch on the Keystone Shortway, covering 180.6 miles. After this section, you'll transition to surface roads and then merge onto I 81. This means you'll encounter periods of rural cruising before reaching more developed areas with potentially denser traffic as you approach Scranton.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 180.6 mi on Keystone Shortway.
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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Yellow Belt / Hulton Road.
Driving Effort6/10
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 285 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.3 miles (Yellow Belt / Hulton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Yellow Belt / Freeport Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (PA 28 / Allegheny Valley Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
2,178 ft478 ft
Total Climb
2,481 ft
Total Descent
2,515 ft
Highest Point
2,178 ft
~101.8 mi in
Elevation Range
1,700 ft
Notable High Points
1,466 ft at ~183.2 miles+515 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Oakmont, PA to City of Scranton, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Indiana along the way.
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 36m. Total distance: 285 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 180.6 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 33 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.
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 City of Scranton, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 33 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Yellow Belt / Hulton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Yellow Belt / Freeport Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (PA 28 / Allegheny Valley Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.6 hours each way, a round trip means 11.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at City of Scranton, PA before the return drive.
