Origin
Palo Alto, PA
Evening in Palo Alto on Sunday
Local time
6:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palo Alto, PA to Scranton, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
69.2 mi
111 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 20m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palo Alto, PA
frank minjarez
Scranton, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Palo Alto, PA to Scranton, PA covers 69.2 miles and takes about 1h 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 81, Joseph H. Long Boulevard, Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 59.6 miles on I 81. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.29 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 59.6 mi | 1h 10m |
| Joseph H. Long Boulevard | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| River Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Bacon Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Coal Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 59.6 mi, about 1h 10m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,824 veh/hr typical · worst 2,145
Quietest
2 AM
~183 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 48 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 Palo Alto, PA and Scranton, PA.
1
Start on Fox Street
150 ft
·
8 sec
·
Fox Street
2
Turn right onto East Bacon Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Bacon Street
3
Turn left onto Coal Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Coal Street
4
Turn left onto Pike Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Pike Street
5
Continue on Market Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Market Street
6
Continue on Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway
7
Continue on South 2nd Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
South 2nd Street
8
Turn left onto West Russell Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
West Russell Street
9
Turn right onto PA 61
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Joseph H. Long Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 81 North: Hazleton
11
Merge onto I 81
60 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
·
I 81
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward PA 307
13
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
River Street
14
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on Adams Avenue
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Adams Avenue
16
Turn left onto Biden Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Biden Street
17
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
135 ft
·
4 sec
·
Wyoming Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
Wyoming Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34.6 miles from Palo Alto, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 69.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
West Russell Street
Turn left onto West Russell Street
Navigation decision point
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
PA 61 / Joseph H. Long Boulevard
Turn right onto PA 61 / Joseph H. Long Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
68.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
|
Cedar Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
69 mi into trip
|
~1h 26m in
|
Biden Street
Turn left onto Biden Street
Navigation decision point
5
69.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 26m in
|
Wyoming Avenue
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.29 one way
$22.58 round trip
$4.14/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.56 | $12.42 | $24.83 |
| premium | $4.86 | $13.25 | $26.50 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $14.72 | $29.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.8 | 0 | $7.27 | $3.32 |
| Efficient EV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.06 | $2.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.7 | 0 | $9.69 | $4.43 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Scranton, PA
Evening in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
6:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°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
6 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
1h 27m 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?
69.2 mi in 1h 27m, mostly highway — 59.6 mi of that is on I 81.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 59.6 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and Joseph H. Long Boulevard. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in near West Russell Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 27m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles (West Russell Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (PA 61 / Joseph H. Long Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 68.5 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Top landmarks
- • St. Peter's Cathedral — historic church in Pennsylvania, United States
- • Steamtown National Historic Site — railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania
- • Albright Memorial Building — library in Scranton, 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 1h 27m. Total distance: 69.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 59.6 miles on I 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 8 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. 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 2.8 miles (West Russell Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (PA 61 / Joseph H. Long Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 68.5 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Appalachian National Scenic Trail. 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 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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