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Trip from Blairsville, PA to Altoona, PA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 17m

Distance

56.9 mi

92 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 11m ★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Blairsville, PA, PA

Blairsville, PA

Jack Pace

Trip Overview

The drive from Blairsville, PA to Altoona, PA covers 56.9 miles and takes about 1h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on William Penn Highway, Admiral Peary Highway, I 99 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 32.6 miles on William Penn Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.43 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 56.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (8%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 17m drive with frequent turns across 56.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 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 32.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in near Villa Road.

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 56.9 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 1.7 miles (Villa Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (US 22; US 119 / William Penn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 48.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | Villa Road

Turn left onto Villa Road

Navigation decision point

6
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 22; US 119 / William Penn Highway

Turn right onto US 22; US 119 / William Penn Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
48.6 mi into trip | ~1h 5m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona
4
53.9 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in

Take the exit toward 17th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward 17th Street
5
54.4 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Altoona

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward Altoona

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 Blairsville, PA to Altoona, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Bedford along the way.

Bedford

48.1 mi in | ~1h 5m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
William Penn Highway 32.6 mi 41m
Admiral Peary Highway 13.7 mi 19m
I 99 4.4 mi 4m
17th Street 1.4 mi 2m
Old William Penn Highway 0.9 mi 1m
6th Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
East Market Street 0.7 mi 1m
Villa Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: William Penn Highway — 32.6 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Blairsville, PA and Altoona, PA.

1

Start on this road

58 ft · 9 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto East Market Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Market Street
3

Continue on Old William Penn Highway

0.9 mi · 1 min · Old William Penn Highway
4

Turn left onto Villa Road

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Villa Road
5

Turn right onto US 22; US 119

16 mi · 21 min · William Penn Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Continue on US 22

14 mi · 19 min · Admiral Peary Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Continue on US 22

17 mi · 19 min · William Penn Highway
8

Continue on this road

0.5 mi · 45 sec · this road
Toward I 99, US 220: Altoona, Bedford
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.9 mi · 1 min
Toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona
10

Merge onto I 99; US 220

4.4 mi · 4 min · I 99; US 220
11

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward 17th Street
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Toward Altoona
13

Turn straight onto 17th Street

1.4 mi · 2 min · 17th Street
14

Turn right onto PA 764

0.7 mi · 1 min · 6th Avenue
15

Turn left onto 7th Street

0.2 mi · 18 sec · 7th Street
16

Arrive at destination

7th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 28.4 mi from Blairsville, PA · 41m into the drive

Downtown Loretto, PA, PA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Loretto, PA

28 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

Brush Valley, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Nanty Glo, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.4 miles from Blairsville, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Altoona, PA

The final approach into Altoona, PA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.43 one way

$18.87 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $10.33 $20.66
premium $4.93 $11.04 $22.07
diesel $5.61 $12.56 $25.13

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.1 0 $5.97 $2.73
Efficient EV 14.2 0 $4.98 $2.28
EV Truck/SUV 22.8 0 $7.97 $3.64

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Blairsville, PA

Afternoon in Blairsville on Thursday

Local time

3:42 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Altoona, PA

Afternoon in Altoona on Thursday

Local time

3:42 PM

EDT

Current temp

84°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 13 mph 0% chance Live forecast

45°F

Loretto, PA

28 mi in

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

16 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

1h 17m 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 Blairsville, PA to Altoona, PA covers 56.9 miles and takes about 1h 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are William Penn Highway, Admiral Peary Highway, I 99. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 28.4 miles from Blairsville, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.43 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.9 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles (Villa Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (US 22; US 119 / William Penn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 48.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Blairsville, PA to Altoona, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Bedford along the way.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Altoona, PA to Blairsville, PA

Plan the drive back the other way.

54.3 mi 1h 16m

Explore more options from Blairsville, PA or browse trips ending in Altoona, PA.

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