Pittsburgh to Oakland, PA is 70 miles and takes about 1 hour 49 minutes via William Penn Highway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Since it's mostly surface roads, expect a more leisurely pace than a pure interstate drive. With a short duration and minimal fuel cost, this is a straightforward, same-day option for getting between these two locations.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
35 miles from Pittsburgh, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
William Penn Highway
41.1 mi
1h
Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
13.8 mi
19m
Cramer Pike
7.9 mi
13m
Johns Street
2.1 mi
3m
Cooper Avenue
1.2 mi
2m
Iron Street
0.9 mi
2m
Roosevelt Boulevard
0.7 mi
1m
Bedford Street
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
William Penn Highway
— 41.1 mi, about 1h
Traffic on I-376
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 6 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~3,320 veh/hr typical
Quietest
3 AM
~202 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.4×
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 Pittsburgh, PA and Oakland, PA.
1
Start on Grant Street
45 ft·9 sec·Grant Street
2
Continue on Grant Street
0.3 mi·1 min·Grant Street
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·50 sec
Toward I 376 East: Monroeville
4
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30
14 mi·19 min·Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto US 22
41 mi·1 hr·William Penn Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·33 sec
Toward PA 403: Dilltown, Johnstown
7
Turn right onto PA 403
7.9 mi·13 min·Cramer Pike
8
Continue on PA 403
1.2 mi·2 min·Cooper Avenue
9
Turn left onto Iron Street
0.9 mi·2 min·Iron Street
10
Turn right onto 4th Avenue
0.3 mi·43 sec·4th Avenue
11
At end of road, turn left onto PA 56; PA 403
0.2 mi·28 sec·Broad Street
12
Continue on PA 56; PA 403
0.7 mi·1 min·Roosevelt Boulevard
13
Continue on PA 56; PA 403
2.1 mi·3 min·Johns Street
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·32 sec
15
At end of road, turn left onto Bedford Street
0.5 mi·1 min·Bedford Street
16
Turn left onto Ferg Street
0.3 mi·58 sec·Ferg Street
17
Arrive at destination
Ferg Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a short, 70-mile drive taking under two hours, you have a lot of flexibility with your departure time. Leaving Pittsburgh in the morning or early afternoon should get you to Oakland with plenty of daylight remaining. Given the relatively low fuel cost of around $11, you won't need to worry too much about finding stations, but it's always wise to top off before leaving Pittsburgh. There are no designated stops in the data, so plan your own breaks as needed, perhaps at a town along William Penn Highway.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 35 miles from Pittsburgh, PA, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 41.1 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 15 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 35 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Oakland, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Pittsburgh, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Pittsburgh, PA
This is one driving day of about 70 miles and 1h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 15 miles from Pittsburgh, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on William Penn Highway for about 41.1 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 0.7 and 66 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.7 mi into trip|~2m in|I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
14.5 mi into trip|~21m in|US 22 / William Penn Highway
Merge onto US 22 / William Penn Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
55.6 mi into trip|~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward PA 403: Dilltown, Johnstown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward PA 403: Dilltown, Johnstown
4
65.7 mi into trip|~1h 40m in|4th Avenue
Turn right onto 4th Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
66 mi into trip|~1h 41m in|PA 56; PA 403 / Broad Street
At end of road, turn left onto PA 56; PA 403 / Broad Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.26 one way
$22.52 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$12.67
$25.35
premium
$4.95
$13.65
$27.31
diesel
$5.98
$16.48
$32.96
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.5 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21
0
$7.35
$3.36
Efficient EV
17.5
0
$6.13
$2.80
EV Truck/SUV
28
0
$9.80
$4.48
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.
Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026
Origin
Pittsburgh, PA
Evening
in Pittsburgh on Sunday
Local time
5:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Mostly Cloudy
N 6 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Oakland, PA
Evening
in Oakland on Sunday
Local time
5:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
9 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
1h 49m 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.
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
National Memorial
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together...
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their live...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 20% of your time on highways, with the remaining 80% on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 41.1 miles on William Penn Highway. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface roads, likely noticing an increase in traffic signals and intersections as you move away from higher-speed sections.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 41.1 mi on William Penn Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.7 miles in near I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 49m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (US 22 / William Penn Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 55.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from Pittsburgh, PA to Oakland, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Johnstown along the way.
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
Oakland is a port city in the Bay Area of California in the United States. Once an industrial area overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger neighbor to the west, this city of 440,000 people (2020) has begun to step out from under San Francisco's shadow with its notable natural and architectural features and its rise as the multicultural "hipster" city of the Bay Area.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 41.1 miles on William Penn Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.7 miles (I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles (US 22 / William Penn Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 55.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Flight 93 National Memorial. 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 Oakland, PA before heading back.
