Origin
Forest Hills, PA
Afternoon in Forest Hills on Saturday
Local time
2:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forest Hills, PA to Harrisburg, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
35.9 mi
58 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forest Hills, PA
Vladimir Srajber
Trip Overview
The drive from Forest Hills, PA to Harrisburg, PA covers 35.9 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 83, Cape Horn Road, South Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.2 miles on I 83. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 83 | 25.2 mi | 31m |
| Cape Horn Road | 4.6 mi | 8m |
| South Main Street | 1.8 mi | 5m |
| South 13th Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Mount Rose Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| State Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North 7th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Prospect Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 83
— 25.2 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest Hills, PA and Harrisburg, PA.
1
Start on Forest Hills Road
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
Forest Hills Road
2
Turn left onto South Main Street
1.8 mi
·
5 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on PA 24
4.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Cape Horn Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn left onto PA 124
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
East Prospect Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on PA 124
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Mount Rose Avenue
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 83 North: Harrisburg
7
Merge onto I 83
25 mi
·
31 min
·
I 83
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 44A
Toward PA 230: 13th Street
Use the right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
134 ft
·
3 sec
Toward 13th Street
Use the right lane.
10
Merge onto South 13th Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South 13th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto State Street
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
State Street
12
Continue on Fisher Plaza
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Fisher Plaza
13
Keep slight right at fork onto North 7th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North 7th Street
14
Arrive at destination
North 7th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from Forest Hills, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 33.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Main Street
Turn left onto South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
6.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
PA 124 / East Prospect Road
Turn left onto PA 124 / East Prospect Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
8.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 83
Merge onto I 83
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
33.4 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward PA 230: 13th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 44A
Toward PA 230: 13th Street
8
33.6 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 13th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward 13th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.95 one way
$11.90 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.52 | $13.04 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.96 | $13.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.93 | $15.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.03 | $2.30 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Harrisburg, PA
Afternoon in Harrisburg on Saturday
Local time
2:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 7 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:42AM EDT by NWS State College PA
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
14 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
53m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
35.9 mi in 53m, mostly highway — 25.2 mi of that is on I 83.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.2 mi on I 83.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 83 and Cape Horn Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near South Main Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 35.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (PA 124 / East Prospect Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 83): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Harrisburg, PA
Full guide →Harrisburg is the capital and 4th-largest metropolitan area of Pennsylvania, with a metro population of 592,000 people in 2020. Harrisburg is known as the host city of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest free indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, the largest annual outdoor sports show in North America, an auto show, which features a large static display of new and classic cars, and Motorama, a two-day event consisting of a car show, motocross racing, and remote control car racing.
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 53m. Total distance: 35.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.2 miles on I 83. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Harrisburg, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 0.3 miles (South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (PA 124 / East Prospect Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles (I 83): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument and Appalachian National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Harrisburg, PA before heading back.
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.
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