Altoona, PA to Millvale, PA is 95.5 miles and takes about 2h 23m via William Penn Highway and US 22, with a fuel budget near $16 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a mixed driving experience that's manageable for a single day. With just under 100 miles, this is a straightforward journey that shouldn't pose any logistical challenges for a day trip.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
47.7 miles from Altoona, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 6m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 23m. Total distance: 95.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route offers a varied driving experience, with 38% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on the historic William Penn Highway, including one significant segment of 44.8 miles without a major change in road type. As you progress towards Millvale, the route incorporates sections of US 22 and the Penn-Lincoln Parkway East, indicating a shift towards more urban-influenced roadways. The character is neither a pure interstate grind nor a purely rural byway, but rather a blend that requires attention to changing speed limits and traffic patterns.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
William Penn Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 44.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Lexington Avenue.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 95.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Lexington Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (US 22): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 81.5 miles (I 376; US 22 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Lexington Avenue
Turn left onto Lexington Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
6.5 mi into trip|~11m in|US 22
Keep slight right at fork onto US 22 toward US 22 West: Ebensburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 22 West: Ebensburg
8
81.5 mi into trip|~1h 56m in|I 376; US 22 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Keep slight right at fork onto I 376; US 22 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East toward I 376 West, US 22 West: Pittsburgh
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 376 West, US 22 West: Pittsburgh
7
87.7 mi into trip|~2h 5m in
Take the exit toward PA 8 North: Wilkinsburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 78B
Toward PA 8 North: Wilkinsburg
6
89.9 mi into trip|~2h 11m in|PA 8 / Penn Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto PA 8 / Penn Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
William Penn Highway
44.8 mi
1h 6m
US 22
30.5 mi
39m
Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
6.2 mi
8m
Penn Avenue
3.8 mi
8m
6th Avenue
3.6 mi
6m
7th Avenue
1.8 mi
2m
South Avenue
1.1 mi
2m
40th Street
1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
William Penn Highway
— 44.8 mi, about 1h 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Altoona, PA and Millvale, PA.
1
Start on 7th Street
0.2 mi·24 sec·7th Street
2
Turn left onto Lexington Avenue
257 ft·16 sec·Lexington Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto 8th Street
0.3 mi·34 sec·8th Street
4
Turn right onto PA 764
1.8 mi·2 min·7th Avenue
5
Continue on PA 764
3.6 mi·6 min·6th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·30 sec
Toward US 22 West: Ebensburg
7
Continue on US 22
0.3 mi·21 sec·US 22
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 22
30 mi·39 min·US 22
Toward US 22 West: EbensburgUse the slight right lane.
9
Continue on US 22
45 mi·1 hr 6 min·William Penn Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 376; US 22
6.2 mi·8 min·Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Toward I 376 West, US 22 West: PittsburghUse the slight left lane.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 78BToward PA 8 North: WilkinsburgUse the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto PA 8
0.5 mi·1 min·Ardmore Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto South Avenue
1.1 mi·2 min·South Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Peebles Street
0.1 mi·35 sec·Peebles Street
15
At end of road, turn left onto PA 8
3.8 mi·8 min·Penn Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto 40th Street
1.0 mi·1 min·40th Street
17
Turn right onto East Ohio Street
0.2 mi·29 sec·East Ohio Street
18
Continue on East Ohio Street
165 ft·5 sec·East Ohio Street
19
Turn slight left onto Grant Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·Grant Avenue
20
At end of road, turn left onto North Avenue
36 ft·3 sec·North Avenue
21
Turn slight right onto Howard Street
0.2 mi·26 sec·Howard Street
22
Arrive at destination
Howard Street
Trip Plan
Given the relatively short 2h 23m duration, you have flexibility with your departure time. Leaving mid-morning should allow you to avoid peak rush hour traffic in the Pittsburgh area. Since the longest uninterrupted stretch is under 45 miles, you won't need to plan for frequent fuel stops, and the $16 fuel cost suggests a single fill-up should be sufficient. Pay attention as you approach Millvale; the transition from US 22 to the Penn-Lincoln Parkway East can bring increased traffic volume.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 47.7 miles from Altoona, PA, or about 1h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 44.8 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 21 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 47.7 miles or 1h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 51m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Millvale, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Altoona, 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 Altoona, PA
This is one driving day of about 95.5 miles and 2h 23m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Altoona, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on William Penn Highway for about 44.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 47.7 mi from Altoona, PA
· 1h 6m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
National Memorial
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together...
7 mi from route
~19 min detour
Free
near mile 29.6
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their live...
26 mi from route
~66 min detour
Free
near mile 36.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.83 one way
$31.67 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg33 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$17.34
$34.68
premium
$4.93
$18.52
$37.04
diesel
$5.61
$21.09
$42.17
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 33.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
28.7
0
$10.03
$4.58
Efficient EV
23.9
0
$8.36
$3.82
EV Truck/SUV
38.2
0
$13.37
$6.11
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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 15, 2026
Origin
Altoona, PA
Morning
in Altoona on Saturday
Local time
9:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Millvale, PA
Morning
in Millvale on Saturday
Local time
9:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
48°F
Snyder, PA
48 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
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 23m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Altoona, PA to Millvale, PA covers 95.5 miles and takes about 2h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are William Penn Highway, US 22, Penn-Lincoln Parkway East. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 47.7 miles from Altoona, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.83 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 95.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Lexington Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (US 22): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 81.5 miles (I 376; US 22 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Altoona, PA to Millvale, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Flight 93 National Memorial.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
