This 136.5-mile journey from Scranton to Howard, Pennsylvania, will take you about 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete. With a fuel cost estimated at $23, it's an accessible drive that can easily be done in a single day. You'll primarily navigate the Keystone Shortway and the American Legion Memorial Highway, experiencing a local drive with frequent turns. Since both your origin and destination are within Pennsylvania in the Northeast region, you won't be crossing any major geographical boundaries. This trip is well-suited as a day excursion, allowing you to reach Howard without needing an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
68.3 miles from Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
95.7 mi
1h 44m
American Legion Memorial Highway
32.7 mi
39m
Walnut Street
2.5 mi
6m
Jacksonville Road
2.4 mi
4m
River Street
0.9 mi
1m
Walt Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Lackawanna Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 95.7 mi, about 1h 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scranton, PA and Howard, PA.
1
Start on Wyoming Avenue
0.1 mi·38 sec·Wyoming Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue
0.2 mi·24 sec·Lackawanna Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 3023
0.2 mi·22 sec·Cedar Avenue
4
Continue on Cedar Avenue
400 ft·12 sec·Cedar Avenue
5
Turn left onto River Street
0.9 mi·1 min·River Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
7
Merge onto I 81
33 mi·39 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
8
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 151BToward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
9
Merge onto I 80
96 mi·1 hr 44 min·Keystone Shortway
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·50 sec
Exit 163Toward Jacksonville, Howard
11
Turn right onto Walt Road
0.4 mi·40 sec·Walt Road
12
Turn right onto PA 26
2.4 mi·4 min·Jacksonville Road
Use the right lane.
13
Turn left onto PA 26
2.5 mi·6 min·Walnut Street
14
Arrive at destination
PA 26
Trip Plan
Given the 2 hour and 40-minute duration, leaving Scranton in the morning will allow you to reach Howard with plenty of daylight. With only one recommended stop and a manageable 136.5 miles, you have flexibility in pacing. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially before embarking on the longest stretch of 95.7 miles on the Keystone Shortway, as services might be less frequent. The 'turn-heavy local drive' profile means paying attention to navigation and potential speed changes as you pass through different communities.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.3 miles from Scranton, PA, or about 1h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 95.7 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 30 miles or 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 68.3 miles or 1h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 8m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Howard, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Scranton, 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 Scranton, PA
This is one driving day of about 136.5 miles and 2h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Scranton, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Keystone Shortway for about 95.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 68.3 miles from Scranton, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Keystone Shortway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 95.7 miles.
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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 131.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Lackawanna Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue
Turn right onto CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
34.4 mi into trip|~43m in
Take the exit toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 151B
Toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
6
130.8 mi into trip|~2h 28m in
Take the exit toward Jacksonville, Howard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 163
Toward Jacksonville, Howard
6
131.6 mi into trip|~2h 30m in|PA 26 / Jacksonville Road
Turn right onto PA 26 / Jacksonville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.63 one way
$45.26 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg48 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$24.78
$49.57
premium
$4.93
$26.47
$52.94
diesel
$5.61
$30.14
$60.27
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 47.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
40.9
0
$14.33
$6.55
Efficient EV
34.1
0
$11.94
$5.46
EV Truck/SUV
54.6
0
$19.11
$8.74
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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 16, 2026
Origin
Scranton, PA
Late night
in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
3:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 9 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 3:08PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Howard, PA
Late night
in Howard on Sunday
Local time
3:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
66°F
Mechanicsville, PA
68 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
42 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
2h 40m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 136.5-mile trip, with 0% of the route on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 95.7 miles along the Keystone Shortway, offering a sustained period of consistent travel. As you progress, the American Legion Memorial Highway and Walnut Street will introduce more varied driving conditions. This route is characterized by its local feel, suggesting you'll be transitioning through various town centers and potentially encountering more traffic signals and intersections than on a pure interstate route.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 95.7 mi on Keystone Shortway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 0.1 miles in near Lackawanna Avenue.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 40m 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 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 34.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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.
The longest stretch is about 95.7 miles on Keystone Shortway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 34.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Howard, PA before heading back.
