Origin
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Morning in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday
Local time
6:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wilkes-Barre, PA to Scranton, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
19.5 mi
31 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Wilkes-Barre to Scranton is 19.5 miles and takes about 28 minutes via I 81, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short journey connects two cities within Pennsylvania's Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on highways, making it ideal for a quick trip. Expect a direct route focused on efficient travel between these neighboring urban centers. Given its brevity, this trip is easily manageable as a same-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 13.3 mi | 15m |
| North Cross Valley Expressway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Wilkes-Barre Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| River Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East North Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| PA 115 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 13.3 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wilkes-Barre, PA and Scranton, PA.
1
Start on Public Square
139 ft
·
6 sec
·
Public Square
2
Continue on North Main Street
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
North Main Street
3
Turn right onto East North Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
East North Street
4
Continue on Scott Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Scott Street
5
Turn left onto Wilkes-Barre Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Wilkes-Barre Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
7
Merge onto PA 309
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Cross Valley Expressway
8
Continue on PA 115
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
PA 115
9
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
10
Merge onto I 81
13 mi
·
15 min
·
I 81
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward PA 307
12
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
River Street
13
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on Adams Avenue
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Adams Avenue
15
Turn left onto Biden Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Biden Street
16
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
135 ft
·
4 sec
·
Wyoming Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Wyoming Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 19.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East North Street
Turn right onto East North Street
Navigation decision point
4
17.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward PA 307
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward PA 307
7
18.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Cedar Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
19.3 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Biden Street
Turn left onto Biden Street
Navigation decision point
5
19.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Wyoming Avenue
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.23 one way
$6.47 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.54 | $7.08 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.78 | $7.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.31 | $8.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Scranton, PA
Morning in Scranton on Sunday
Local time
6:14 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
17 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
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 predominantly highway-focused, with 77% of the route utilizing major roadways like I 81 and the North Cross Valley Expressway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 13.3 miles on I 81, offering a consistent pace. The journey begins with Wilkes-Barre Boulevard before transitioning to faster-paced expressways. The character remains largely consistent, emphasizing efficient travel with minimal scenic detours.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.3 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and North Cross Valley Expressway. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near East North 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 19.5 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 0.4 miles (East North Street): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.9 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Wilkes-Barre, PA
Full guide →Wilkes-Barre (the last part is variously pronounced "Berry", "Bury", "Bare", or "Berrah" by locals, and "Barry" or "Barr" by others) is a city of 41,000 people (2018) in Northeastern Pennsylvania, approximately 20 miles southwest of Scranton. The city is named for John Wilkes and Isaac Barre, both of whom were members of the British Parliament who opposed royal rule of the colonies. Although the city is named after them, neither one ever set foot in North America.
Arriving 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 28m. Total distance: 19.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.3 miles on I 81. 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 0.4 miles (East North Street): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.9 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scranton, 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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