Vandergrift to Ardara is 27.1 miles and takes about 45m via PA 380, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Pennsylvania's Northeast region, offering a straightforward drive. With a highway-focused profile and a low estimated fuel cost, this route is ideal for a quick local excursion or a connecting leg of a larger journey. You'll experience a mostly highway feel for the majority of this drive.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
PA 380
11 mi
17m
State Route 66
3.8 mi
6m
Mosside Boulevard
2.8 mi
4m
Brinton Avenue
2.6 mi
5m
PA 56
2.6 mi
2m
Northern Pike
1.8 mi
3m
Broadway Boulevard
0.6 mi
1m
1st Street
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
PA 380
— 11 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Vandergrift, PA and Ardara, PA.
1
Start on Washington Avenue
54 ft·2 sec·Washington Avenue
2
Continue on PA 56; PA 66 ALT
0.2 mi·20 sec·Washington Avenue
3
Continue on PA 56; PA 66 ALT
463 ft·12 sec·1st Street
4
Turn left onto PA 56; PA 66 ALT
171 ft·2 sec·Farragut Avenue
5
Continue on PA 56; PA 66 ALT
0.1 mi·16 sec·Dime Road
6
Turn right onto PA 56; PA 66
2.6 mi·2 min·PA 56; PA 66
7
Turn right onto PA 66
0.3 mi·21 sec·1st Street
8
Continue on PA 66
2.3 mi·3 min·State Route 66
9
At end of road, turn left onto PA 66
1.6 mi·2 min·State Route 66
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
11
Turn straight onto PA 380
11 mi·17 min·PA 380
12
Turn left onto Golden Mile Highway
197 ft·11 sec·Golden Mile Highway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto US 22
526 ft·15 sec·William Penn Highway
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto Northern Pike
1.8 mi·3 min·Northern Pike
Use the left lane.
15
Turn sharp left onto PA 48; Orange Belt
2.8 mi·4 min·Mosside Boulevard
16
Turn left onto PA 130
0.6 mi·1 min·Broadway Boulevard
17
Continue on PA 130
0.2 mi·19 sec·Tri Boro Expressway
18
Continue on PA 130
0.3 mi·34 sec·5th Street
19
Turn right onto PA 993
2.6 mi·5 min·Brinton Avenue
20
Turn left onto Haywood Road
393 ft·24 sec·Haywood Road
21
Turn left onto Mary Street
426 ft·20 sec·Mary Street
22
Turn right onto Virginia Avenue
199 ft·8 sec·Virginia Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Virginia Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 18.5 and 27 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
18.5 mi into trip|~28m in|Golden Mile Highway
Turn left onto Golden Mile Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
18.5 mi into trip|~28m in|US 22 / William Penn Highway
Turn right onto US 22 / William Penn Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
18.6 mi into trip|~28m in|Northern Pike
Turn left onto Northern Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
20.4 mi into trip|~32m in|PA 48; Orange Belt / Mosside Boulevard
Turn sharp left onto PA 48; Orange Belt / Mosside Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
27 mi into trip|~44m in|Mary Street
Turn left onto Mary Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.32 one way
$8.64 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg10 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$4.78
$9.56
premium
$4.81
$5.13
$10.26
diesel
$4.80
$5.12
$10.23
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
8.1
0
$2.85
$1.30
Efficient EV
6.8
0
$2.37
$1.08
EV Truck/SUV
10.8
0
$3.79
$1.73
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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 Jul 14, 2026
Origin
Vandergrift, PA
Morning
in Vandergrift on Tuesday
Local time
6:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
95°F
Sunny
W 2 to 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 2:48AM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS State College PA
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 2:48AM EDT until July 15 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS State College PA
Destination
Ardara, PA
Morning
in Ardara on Tuesday
Local time
6:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Sunny
SW 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 2:48AM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS State College PA
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 2:48AM EDT until July 15 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS State College PA
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
3 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
45m 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?
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 65% of the 27.1 miles on such roads. You'll encounter an uninterrupted stretch of 11 miles on PA 380, which should provide a smooth cruising experience. While the route primarily utilizes PA 380 and State Route 66, it also includes a segment on Mosside Boulevard, suggesting a transition from more open highway to potentially more developed or local road conditions towards the end. Expect a consistent pace for most of this journey.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11 mi on PA 380.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on PA 380 and State Route 66. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 18.5 miles in near Golden Mile Highway.
Driving Effort5/10
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 27.1 miles you will encounter 14 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 18.5 miles (Golden Mile Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.5 miles (US 22 / William Penn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (Northern Pike): Lane positioning matters here.
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 27.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11 miles on PA 380. 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 18.5 miles (Golden Mile Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.5 miles (US 22 / William Penn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.6 miles (Northern Pike): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ardara, PA before heading back.
