Origin
Forest Lake, PA
Afternoon in Forest Lake on Saturday
Local time
3:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forest Lake, PA to Scranton, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
53.3 mi
86 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forest Lake, PA
DMN Atölye
Trip Overview
Forest Lake, PA to Scranton, PA is 53.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 21 minutes via I 81 and local roads, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip primarily within Pennsylvania's Northeast region. Expect a drive that keeps you on major roadways for most of the journey, making it a convenient option for getting between these two locations without significant detours. Consider this route if you're looking for efficiency and a predictable travel time through familiar territory.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 31.7 mi | 37m |
| Grow Avenue | 8.1 mi | 14m |
| North Road | 3.9 mi | 9m |
| North Scranton Expressway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| State Route 167 | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| US 11 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Lake Hill Road | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| Owego Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 31.7 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest Lake, PA and Scranton, PA.
1
Start on Road 6
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
·
Road 6
2
Turn sharp left onto Lake Hill Road
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Lake Hill Road
3
Turn right onto North Road
3.9 mi
·
9 min
·
North Road
4
Turn straight onto PA 167
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
State Route 167
5
Continue on PA 167
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Owego Street
6
At end of road, turn left onto PA 167; PA 706
224 ft
·
3 sec
·
Wyalusing Street
7
Continue on PA 167; PA 706
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Church Street
8
Continue on PA 29; PA 167; PA 706
8.1 mi
·
14 min
·
Grow Avenue
9
Turn left onto US 11
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
US 11
10
Turn right onto PA 492
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Jackson Street
11
Continue on PA 492
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
State Route 492
12
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
13
Merge onto I 81
32 mi
·
37 min
·
I 81
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
Toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
15
Merge onto US 6 BUS
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
US 6 BUS
Toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
Use the straight lane.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6 BUS
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
US 6 BUS
Toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
17
Continue on US 11
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
North Scranton Expressway
Use the straight lane.
18
Continue on US 11; PA 307
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
19
Turn right onto Penn Avenue
526 ft
·
17 sec
·
Penn Avenue
Use the right lane.
20
Turn left onto Linden Street
443 ft
·
12 sec
·
Linden Street
21
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
429 ft
·
14 sec
·
Wyoming Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Wyoming Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Forest Lake, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 53.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lake Hill Road
Turn sharp left onto Lake Hill Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
49.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
7
49.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
US 6 BUS
Merge onto US 6 BUS toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
6
49.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
US 6 BUS
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6 BUS toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 11 South: Scranton Expressway
7
53.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
|
Penn Avenue
Turn right onto Penn Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.84 one way
$17.67 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.68 | $19.36 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.34 | $20.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.77 | $23.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
| Efficient EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.46 | $3.41 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Scranton, PA
Afternoon in Scranton on Saturday
Local time
3:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Partly Cloudy
E 2 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
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 21m 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?
This route is heavily focused on highway driving, with 71% of your travel on faster roads like I 81. You'll experience a significant uninterrupted stretch of 31.7 miles on I 81, offering a consistent pace for a good portion of the trip. While the majority is highway, you will transition to local roads like Grow Avenue and North Road as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll have periods of smooth, high-speed travel followed by more typical local road conditions closer to Scranton.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.7 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and Grow Avenue. 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 Lake Hill Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.2 miles (Lake Hill Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 49.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.7 miles (US 6 BUS): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Scranton, PA
Full guide →Scranton is a city in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is near Wilkes-Barre, and is the seventh most populous city in the state. Today, it is perhaps best known as the setting of the hit TV show "The Office" and the birthplace of Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States.
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 1h 21m. Total distance: 53.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.7 miles on I 81. 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 Scranton, 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 0.2 miles (Lake Hill Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 49.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.7 miles (US 6 BUS): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Scranton, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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