Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 49m
Distance
236.2 mi
380 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$39
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
Williamstown, PA
Michael Taccetta
This 236.2-mile journey from Pittsburgh to Williamstown, Pennsylvania, will take approximately 4 hours and 49 minutes of driving time. It's a straightforward trip that's easily manageable as a single-day drive, so you won't need to worry about an overnight stop. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $39, making it a budget-friendly option. The majority of your travel, 84% of it to be exact, will be on highways, so expect a focused, efficient drive. This route stays within the Northeast region, keeping the journey geographically contained.
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
118.1 miles from Pittsburgh, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 16m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Turnpike | 170.5 mi | 3h 7m |
| Penn-Lincoln Parkway East | 13.6 mi | 18m |
| I 81 | 12.7 mi | 15m |
| East Main Street | 10.7 mi | 16m |
| Armstrong Valley Road | 8.8 mi | 13m |
| Peters Mountain Road | 8.3 mi | 13m |
| Front Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| US 22 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,748 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~345 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Pittsburgh, PA and Williamstown, 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
Continue on US 11
Take the exit
Merge onto I 81
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 81
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight onto Front Street
Turn right onto PA 443
Turn left
Merge onto US 22; US 322
Take the exit
Continue on Allegheny Street
Turn right onto Schuylkill Street
Continue on Claster Boulevard
At end of road, turn right onto PA 225
Continue on PA 147; PA 225
At end of road, turn right onto PA 225
Continue on PA 225
Continue on PA 225
Turn right onto US 209
Continue on South Water Street
Turn right onto Station Street
Turn left onto South West Street
Turn right onto West Market Street
Arrive at destination
Given the 4-hour and 49-minute duration, starting your drive in the morning will give you plenty of flexibility. With only one stop suggested and a manageable 236.2 miles, you can easily break up the drive as needed. Pay attention to your fuel levels, especially before embarking on the longest stretch of 170.5 miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as services can be spread out. The $39 fuel cost is a good estimate, but always check current prices. Since this is a single-day trip, you have the advantage of being flexible with your departure time and any brief stops you might want to make along the way.
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 52 miles or 1h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 118.1 miles or 2h 16m 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 43m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Williamstown, 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 236.2 miles and 4h 49m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
118 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 52 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 118.1 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 170.5 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 14.7 and 205 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork toward I 76 East: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 81, US 11: Carlisle, 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 11 North: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Downtown Harrisburg, Front Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left toward US 22 West, US 322 West: Lewistown
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$38.54 one way
$77.07 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.56 | $42.38 | $84.75 |
| premium | $4.86 | $45.22 | $90.44 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $50.24 | $100.49 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.16
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
$39
Tolls
$22
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$86–$111
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 82.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 70.9 | 0 | $24.80 | $11.34 |
| Efficient EV | 59.1 | 0 | $20.67 | $9.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 94.5 | 1 | $33.07 | $15.12 |
Gas CO2
83 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (66% 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
Afternoon in Pittsburgh on Sunday
Local time
1:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Afternoon in Williamstown on Sunday
Local time
1:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
37°F
Unavailable
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.
Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this 236.2-mile trip, with 84% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll spend a significant amount of time on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, including a substantial uninterrupted stretch of 170.5 miles. This means you'll likely experience consistent speeds and a relatively predictable driving environment for the bulk of your travel. The Penn-Lincoln Parkway East and I-81 are also key components, ensuring you remain on well-maintained, high-capacity roads for the majority of the 4-hour and 49-minute journey.
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 14.7 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 28 significant decision points across 236.2 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 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 185.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 186.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pittsburgh, PA and Williamstown, PA, road signs point toward Patp: Ohio, Harrisburg, Marysville, Dauphin Boro and Stony Creek.
Patp: Ohio
Harrisburg
Marysville
Dauphin Boro
Stony Creek
Founded 1758
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
Founded 1869
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 49m. Total distance: 236.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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