Origin
Barrett, PA
Morning in Barrett on Saturday
Local time
6:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Barrett, PA to Erie, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 12m
Distance
172.6 mi
278 km
Drive Score
10/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$29
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 0m
★
6 AM
3h 12m
8 AM
3h 36m
10 AM
3h 20m
12 PM
3h 18m
3 PM
3h 22m
5 PM
3h 35m
8 PM
3h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Barrett, PA
Jörn Rockstroh
Erie, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Barrett, PA to Erie, PA covers 172.6 miles and takes about 3h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Keystone Shortway, I 79, West 12th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 99.4 miles on Keystone Shortway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $28.61 one way before food or hotel costs.
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
86.3 miles from Barrett, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 35m into the drive .
About the Cities
Arriving in Erie, PA
Full guide →Erie is a city of about 100,000 in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's only lake port on the Great Lakes (Lake Erie).
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 3h 12m. Total distance: 172.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Barrett, PA to Erie, PA covers 172.6 miles and takes about 3h 12m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Keystone Shortway is the longest continuous segment at about 99.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 3.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 12m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 103.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 169.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
4
103.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 53m in
Take the exit toward I 79 North: Erie
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 79 North: Erie
6
169.6 mi into trip
|
~3h 5m in
Take the exit toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 183A
Toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
5
169.9 mi into trip
|
~3h 5m in
|
PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
172.2 mi into trip
|
~3h 10m in
|
State Street
Turn left onto State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Keystone Shortway | 99.4 mi | 1h 46m |
| I 79 | 65.8 mi | 1h 10m |
| West 12th Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Clearfield Shawville Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Daisy Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Clearfield Woodland Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| State Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Indian Mill Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 99.4 mi, about 1h 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Barrett, PA and Erie, PA.
1
Start on Indian Mill Lane
239 ft
·
14 sec
·
Indian Mill Lane
2
Turn straight onto US 322
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Clearfield Woodland Highway
3
Continue on US 322
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Daisy Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
5
Merge onto PA 879
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Clearfield Shawville Highway
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
7
Merge onto I 80
99 mi
·
1 hr 46 min
·
Keystone Shortway
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 79 North: Erie
9
Merge onto I 79
66 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
·
I 79
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 183A
Toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
11
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto State Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
State Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 86.3 miles from Barrett, PA, or about 1h 35m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 99.4 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 38 miles or 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 86.3 miles or 1h 35m 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 34m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Erie, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Barrett, 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 Barrett, PA
This is one driving day of about 172.6 miles and 3h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 38 miles from Barrett, 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 99.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 86.3 mi from Barrett, PA · 1h 35m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
86 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 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 86.3 miles from Barrett, 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 99.4 miles.
Arriving in Erie, PA
The final approach into Erie, PA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Erie, PA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.61 one way
$57.23 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
60 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $31.34 | $62.68 |
| premium | $4.93 | $33.47 | $66.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $38.11 | $76.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 60.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 51.8 | 0 | $18.12 | $8.28 |
| Efficient EV | 43.2 | 0 | $15.10 | $6.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 69 | 0 | $24.16 | $11.05 |
Gas CO2
60 kg
EV CO2
20 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
Erie, PA
Morning in Erie on Saturday
Local time
6:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 13 to 17 mph
61% chance
Live forecast
45°F
Franklin, PA
86 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
20 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
3h 12m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Barrett, PA to Erie, PA covers 172.6 miles and takes about 3h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Keystone Shortway, I 79, West 12th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 86.3 miles from Barrett, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $28.61 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 3h 12m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 103.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 169.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Barrett, PA to Erie, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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