Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 17m
Distance
217.3 mi
350 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$36
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pittsburgh, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Palmdale, PA
Haneul Trac
This 217.3-mile drive from Pittsburgh to Palmdale, Pennsylvania, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 4 hours and 17 minutes. You'll spend most of your time on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which accounts for 98% of the highway travel. With a projected fuel cost of $36, this route offers a straightforward and efficient journey within the Northeast region. It’s a highway-focused experience designed for covering distance, making it ideal if your priority is simply getting from point A to point B without extensive detours.
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
108.6 miles from Pittsburgh, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 6m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Turnpike | 180.4 mi | 3h 17m |
| Penn-Lincoln Parkway East | 13.6 mi | 18m |
| US 322 | 6.7 mi | 9m |
| I 83 | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| US 422 | 4.5 mi | 9m |
| US 15 | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| American Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Grant Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Pittsburgh, PA and Palmdale, PA.
Start on Grant Street
Continue on Grant Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 76; PATP
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto US 15
Take the exit
Merge onto PA 581
Continue on PA 581
Merge onto I 83
Continue on this road
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 422
Turn left onto Roosevelt Avenue
Arrive at destination
Given the 4-hour and 17-minute duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day adventure. You can depart Pittsburgh in the morning and arrive in Palmdale well before evening. While the drive is mostly on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, plan for one stop to break up the 180.4-mile longest stretch. The $36 fuel cost is modest, so ensure your tank is full before leaving Pittsburgh to maximize your time on the road. Keep an eye on the mile markers for the Turnpike, as they'll help you gauge your progress on that extensive segment.
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.
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 48 miles or 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 108.6 miles or 2h 6m 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 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Palmdale, PA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Pittsburgh, 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 Pittsburgh, PA
This is one driving day of about 217.3 miles and 4h 17m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
109 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.
A short stop after about 48 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 108.6 miles from Pittsburgh, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Pennsylvania Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 180.4 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 14.3 and 199.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 76, PATP: Ohio, Harrisburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 76 East: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 15: Gettysburg Pike, Gettysburg, Harrisburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward US 15 North: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward PA 581 East: Harrisburg, York
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$36.03 one way
$72.05 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $39.46 | $78.91 |
| premium | $4.93 | $42.14 | $84.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $47.98 | $95.95 |
Estimated Tolls: $23.45
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Tolls
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$84–$109
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 76 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 65.2 | 0 | $22.82 | $10.43 |
| Efficient EV | 54.3 | 0 | $19.01 | $8.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 86.9 | 1 | $30.42 | $13.91 |
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
25 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Pittsburgh on Sunday
Local time
6:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Sunny
Destination
Morning in Palmdale on Sunday
Local time
6:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
48°F
Martinsburg, PA
109 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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
National Memorial
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...
National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
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...
National Battlefield
The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with nearly all of your travel occurring on high-speed roadways. The Pennsylvania Turnpike forms the backbone of this drive, offering a long, uninterrupted stretch of 180.4 miles. This means you'll be in a consistent driving environment for the majority of your trip, with limited transitions to local roads. The character is one of steady progress, where the focus is on maintaining speed and covering ground efficiently rather than exploring varied landscapes.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and Penn-Lincoln Parkway East. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.3 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 217.3 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 195.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pittsburgh, PA and Palmdale, PA, road signs point toward Patp: Ohio, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, York and Hershey.
Patp: Ohio
Harrisburg
Gettysburg
York
Hershey
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.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 17m. Total distance: 217.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (98%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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