Origin
Scranton, PA
Late night in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
3:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scranton, PA to Zion, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 37m
Distance
133.5 mi
215 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$22
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 27m
★
6 AM
2h 38m
8 AM
2h 59m
10 AM
2h 45m
12 PM
2h 43m
3 PM
2h 46m
5 PM
2h 58m
8 PM
2h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Zion, PA
Haneul Trac
Trip Overview
Scranton to Zion is 133.5 miles and takes about 2 hours 37 minutes via Keystone Shortway, American Legion Memorial Highway, and Nittany Valley Drive, with a fuel budget near $22 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a route that involves frequent turns and navigating local roads, rather than high-speed highway travel. It’s a good option for a single day trip where you want to experience the local character of the state. Plan for a journey that requires your attention to navigation but offers a direct path between these two points.
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
66.8 miles from Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 19m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Keystone Shortway | 85.9 mi | 1h 33m |
| American Legion Memorial Highway | 32.7 mi | 39m |
| Nittany Valley Drive | 11.6 mi | 17m |
| River Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Zion Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Lackawanna Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Wyoming Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 85.9 mi, about 1h 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scranton, PA and Zion, 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 151B
Toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
9
Merge onto I 80
86 mi
·
1 hr 33 min
·
Keystone Shortway
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward PA 64: Pleasant Gap, Mill Hall
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn left onto PA 64
12 mi
·
17 min
·
Nittany Valley Drive
12
Continue on PA 64
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
East College Avenue
13
Turn right onto PA 550
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
Zion Road
14
Arrive at destination
PA 550
Trip Plan
Given the 2 hour 37 minute duration and the 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, leaving Scranton in the morning is advisable to maximize daylight for navigation. While the total distance is manageable for a single day, the frequent turns mean you’ll want to take your time. Plan for one stop, perhaps around the halfway mark, to stretch your legs and refuel if needed, though the $22 fuel cost suggests you won't need to worry excessively about topping up. Keep an eye on your GPS as you transition between the Keystone Shortway, American Legion Memorial Highway, and Nittany Valley Drive to ensure you don't miss any crucial turns.
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 66.8 miles from Scranton, PA, or about 1h 19m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 85.9 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 29 miles or 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 66.8 miles or 1h 19m 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 5m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Zion, 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 133.5 miles and 2h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 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 85.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
67 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 29 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 66.8 miles from Scranton, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Keystone Shortway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 85.9 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 121 — 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
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
River Street
Turn left onto River Street
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
7
121 mi into trip
|
~2h 18m in
Take the exit toward PA 64: Pleasant Gap, Mill Hall
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward PA 64: Pleasant Gap, Mill Hall
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.13 one way
$44.27 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
47 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $24.24 | $48.48 |
| premium | $4.93 | $25.89 | $51.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $29.48 | $58.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$47–$72
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 46.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 40.1 | 0 | $14.02 | $6.41 |
| Efficient EV | 33.4 | 0 | $11.68 | $5.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 53.4 | 0 | $18.69 | $8.54 |
Gas CO2
47 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (66% 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
Zion, PA
Late night in Zion on Sunday
Local time
3:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
66°F
Mechanicsville, PA
67 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
1 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 37m 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 its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you won't be on uninterrupted highways for long stretches. With 0% highway share, you're looking at a journey primarily on surface roads. The longest continuous segment you'll encounter is 85.9 miles on the Keystone Shortway, providing a significant portion of the drive on a single named route. As you progress, be prepared for the road to change character as you transition between the Keystone Shortway, American Legion Memorial Highway, and Nittany Valley Drive, requiring constant awareness of your turns and speed.
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: 85.9 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 Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 37m drive. You will face about 10 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 0.6 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Scranton, PA to Zion, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Mill Hall along the way.
Mill Hall
121 mi in
|
~2h 18m
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.
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 2h 37m. Total distance: 133.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 85.9 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 0.6 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Zion, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Zion, PA
More trips to Zion, PA
Explore more options from Scranton, PA or browse trips ending in Zion, PA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.