Origin
Reading, PA
Morning in Reading on Tuesday
Local time
8:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Reading, PA to Lehighton, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
49 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lehighton, PA
Andaru Firmansyah
Trip Overview
Reading to Lehighton is 49 miles and takes about 1 hour 14 minutes via Pottsville Pike, Summer Valley Road, and Blakeslee Boulevard Drive West, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a route that's mostly on surface roads, offering a straightforward drive. With only a 1 hour 14 minute estimated drive time, this is an easy same-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pottsville Pike | 14.4 mi | 18m |
| Summer Valley Road | 6.5 mi | 10m |
| Blakeslee Boulevard Drive West | 6.4 mi | 10m |
| Clamtown Road | 5.7 mi | 9m |
| Penn Drive | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Centre Avenue | 3 mi | 4m |
| Centre Turnpike | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| West Penn Pike | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Pottsville Pike
— 14.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Reading, PA and Lehighton, PA.
1
Start on US 422 Business Alternate
279 ft
·
8 sec
·
Penn Street
2
Turn right onto US 222 BUS
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
North 5th Street
3
Turn slight left onto PA 61
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Centre Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on PA 61
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Pottsville Pike
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on PA 61
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Centre Avenue
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on PA 61
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Pottsville Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Continue on PA 61
0.6 mi
·
43 sec
·
Shoemaker Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on PA 61
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Pottsville Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on PA 61
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
South 4th Street
10
Continue on PA 61
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Pottsville Pike
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on PA 61
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Centre Turnpike
12
Turn right onto PA 895
6.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Summer Valley Road
13
Continue on PA 443; PA 895
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Hughes Street
14
Turn left onto PA 443
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East Railroad Avenue
15
Continue on PA 443
5.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Clamtown Road
16
Turn right onto PA 309; PA 443
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Penn Pike
Use the left lane.
17
Turn slight left onto PA 443
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Penn Drive
Use the left lane.
18
Continue on PA 443
6.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Blakeslee Boulevard Drive West
Use the left / straight lanes.
19
Turn left onto PA 902
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
South 9th Street
20
Turn right onto Mahoning Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Mahoning Street
21
Turn right onto South 4th Street
87 ft
·
3 sec
·
South 4th Street
22
Arrive at destination
South 4th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.5 miles from Reading, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 49 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 222 BUS / North 5th Street
Turn right onto US 222 BUS / North 5th Street
Navigation decision point
3
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
PA 61 / Centre Avenue
Turn slight left onto PA 61 / Centre Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
28.2 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
PA 443 / East Railroad Avenue
Turn left onto PA 443 / East Railroad Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
35 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
PA 309; PA 443 / West Penn Pike
Turn right onto PA 309; PA 443 / West Penn Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
49 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
South 4th Street
Turn right onto South 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.12 one way
$16.25 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.90 | $17.79 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.50 | $19.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.82 | $21.64 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.12
Centre Turnpike
(1.7 mi)
$0.12
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$0
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.35 |
| Efficient EV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.29 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.86 | $3.14 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Lehighton, PA
Morning in Lehighton on Tuesday
Local time
8:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°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
4 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 14m 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?
This drive is primarily on surface roads, with highways making up about 33% of the total distance. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch on Pottsville Pike, covering 14.4 miles. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface streets, which will likely involve more local traffic and intersections as you approach your destination.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.4 mi on Pottsville Pike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 222 BUS / North 5th Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 49 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (US 222 BUS / North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (PA 61 / Centre Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (PA 443 / East Railroad Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Reading, PA
Full guide →Reading is a historic city of about 95,000 (2020 Census) in Pennsylvania, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, 35 miles southwest of Allentown and 55 miles east of Harrisburg. It punches above its weight in culture, and its downtown features some iconic buildings, so consider making it a stopover on your way between any of these and other area cities.
Arriving in Lehighton, PA
Full guide →Lehighton is a borough in the Coal Region, near Jim Thorpe, Allentown and the Lehigh Valley, in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States of America.
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 14m. Total distance: 49 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (3%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.4 miles on Pottsville Pike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.12 in tolls one way, starting with Centre Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 0.1 miles (US 222 BUS / North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (PA 61 / Centre Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (PA 443 / East Railroad Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lehighton, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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