Origin
Scranton, PA
Evening in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
6:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scranton, PA to Palo Alto, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 28m
Distance
70 mi
113 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 34m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scranton, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Palo Alto, PA
frank minjarez
Trip Overview
Scranton to Palo Alto is 70 miles and takes about 1 hour 28 minutes via American Legion Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, traversing the Northeast region. Expect a route with numerous turns, making it more of a local drive than a highway sprint. Given the short duration and modest distance, this is an ideal same-day excursion, allowing for a relaxed pace without needing an overnight stay. Plan for a straightforward journey that doesn't demand extensive preparation.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| American Legion Memorial Highway | 59.7 mi | 1h 10m |
| Skyline Drive | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Joseph H. Long Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| River Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Bacon Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Coal Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 59.7 mi, about 1h 10m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,824 veh/hr typical · worst 2,145
Quietest
2 AM
~183 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 48 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 Scranton, PA and Palo Alto, 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
60 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
·
American Legion Memorial Highway
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 124B
Toward PA 61 North: Frackville
9
Turn straight onto PA 61
500 ft
·
13 sec
·
Skyline Drive
10
Turn uturn onto PA 61
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Skyline Drive
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on PA 61
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Joseph H. Long Boulevard
12
Turn left onto West Russell Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
West Russell Street
13
Turn right onto South 2nd Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
South 2nd Street
14
Continue on Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway
15
Continue on Market Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Market Street
16
Continue on Pike Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Pike Street
17
Turn right onto US 209
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Coal Street
18
At end of road, turn right onto East Bacon Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Bacon Street
19
Turn left onto Fox Street
150 ft
·
6 sec
·
Fox Street
20
Arrive at destination
Fox Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35 miles from Scranton, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 67.3 — 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
61.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward PA 61 North: Frackville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 124B
Toward PA 61 North: Frackville
8
61.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
PA 61 / Skyline Drive
Turn uturn onto PA 61 / Skyline Drive
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
67.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
|
South 2nd Street
Turn right onto South 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.42 one way
$22.84 round trip
$4.14/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.56 | $12.56 | $25.12 |
| premium | $4.86 | $13.40 | $26.80 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $14.89 | $29.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
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.
Destination
Palo Alto, PA
Evening in Palo Alto on Sunday
Local time
6:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
38°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
6 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 28m 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 characterized by frequent turns, offering a dynamic local road experience rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. With 0% highway share, you'll be navigating through communities and along country roads for the entire 70 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you’ll encounter is 59.7 miles, primarily on the American Legion Memorial Highway, before the road begins to weave through smaller towns and intersections. Be prepared for a driving rhythm that involves constant adjustments and attention to navigation as you follow the Skyline Drive and Port Carbon Saint Clair Highway sections.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 59.7 mi on American Legion Memorial Highway.
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 Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 28m 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 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 61.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Starting in Scranton, PA
Full guide →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.
Top landmarks
- • St. Peter's Cathedral — historic church in Pennsylvania, United States
- • Steamtown National Historic Site — railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania
- • Albright Memorial Building — library in Scranton, Pennsylvania
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 28m. Total distance: 70 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 59.7 miles on American Legion Memorial 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 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 61.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Appalachian National Scenic Trail. 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 Palo Alto, 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, EIA for fuel prices, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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