Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 35m
Distance
70.5 mi
113 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Erie, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Venango, PA
Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare
The drive from Erie, PA to Venango, PA covers 70.5 miles and takes about 1h 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Raymond P Shafer Highway, US 322, Meadville Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 36.3 miles on Raymond P Shafer Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.69 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.
Midpoint
35.3 miles from Erie, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 41m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Raymond P Shafer Highway | 36.3 mi | 39m |
| US 322 | 14.2 mi | 19m |
| Meadville Road | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Cochranton Road | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| West 12th Street | 2 mi | 4m |
| Twenty-Eighth Division Highway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Lakes To the Sea Highway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Grant Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Erie, PA and Venango, PA.
Start on State Street
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290
Turn right onto Greengarden Boulevard
Turn left onto West Bayfront Parkway
Continue on I 79
Take the exit
Merge onto US 6; US 19; US 322
Continue on US 6; US 19; US 322
Continue on US 6; US 19; US 322
Keep slight right at fork onto US 322
Turn right onto US 322
Turn right onto US 322
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 322
Continue on Twenty-Eighth Division Highway
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 322
Turn right onto US 322
Continue on US 322
Turn left onto US 62; US 322; PA 8
Turn left onto US 322
Continue on US 322
Continue on US 322
Turn sharp left onto Old 322 Road
Arrive at destination
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.
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 16 miles or 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 35.3 miles or 41m 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 17m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Venango, PA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Erie, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Erie, PA
This is one driving day of about 70.5 miles and 1h 35m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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.
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 35.3 miles from Erie, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 67.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Greengarden Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto US 322 / Park Avenue toward US 322 East: Park Avenue, Linden Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto US 322 / Linden Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 62; US 322; PA 8 / Liberty Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$11.69 one way
$23.38 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $12.80 | $25.60 |
| premium | $4.93 | $13.67 | $27.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.57 | $31.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.2 | 0 | $7.40 | $3.38 |
| Efficient EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.17 | $2.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.2 | 0 | $9.87 | $4.51 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Erie on Saturday
Local time
4:37 PM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Afternoon in Venango on Saturday
Local time
4:37 PM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
57°F
Meadville, PA
35 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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
70.5 mi in 1h 35m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street.
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 70.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 (PA 5; PA 290 / West 12th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (Greengarden Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 41.1 miles (US 322 / Park Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 35m. Total distance: 70.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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