Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
9m
Distance
4.6 mi
7 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pittsburgh, PA
Wikimedia Commons
McKees Rocks, PA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Pittsburgh, PA to McKees Rocks, PA covers 4.6 miles and takes about 9m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Carson Street, Chartiers Avenue, Liberty Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 2.3 miles on West Carson Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $0.76 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Carson Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Chartiers Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Stanhope Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Sixth Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Penn-Lincoln Parkway North | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Grant Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Pittsburgh, PA and McKees Rocks, PA.
Start on Grant Street
Turn left onto Sixth Avenue
Turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Continue on this road
Merge onto I 279
Take the exit
Turn straight onto PA 837
Turn right
Turn straight onto PA 51
Turn left onto PA 51
Continue on PA 51
Continue on PA 51
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 3.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Sixth Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Navigation decision point
Merge onto I 279 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway North toward I 376 West: Fort Pitt Bridge, Airport
Merge point - match speed before joining. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward PA 837 North: West Carson Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto PA 51 / Stanhope Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$0.76 one way
$1.53 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $0.84 | $1.67 |
| premium | $4.93 | $0.89 | $1.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.02 | $2.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 1.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $0 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 1.4 | 0 | $0.48 | $0.22 |
| Efficient EV | 1.2 | 0 | $0.40 | $0.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.64 | $0.29 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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 Pittsburgh on Saturday
Local time
1:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in McKees Rocks on Saturday
Local time
1:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
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.
4.6 mi in 9m 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Sixth Avenue.
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 4.6 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (Sixth Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Liberty Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (I 279 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway North): Merge point - match speed before joining. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Pittsburgh, PA to McKees Rocks, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Airport along the way.
Airport
The pleasure of Pittsburgh remains a well-kept secret. Though not built up by reputation, the city's unique combination of bridges, steep hills, and broad rivers make it one of the most naturally scenic cities in the country. Cheap food and beer abound in this true sports town and the locals are amazingly friendly. A city of about 303,000 (2021) in Allegheny County, at the center of a metro area of about 2.4 million in southwestern Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is situated at the confluence of three rivers: the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, which meet to form the Ohio River. The city's unique terrain has resulted in an unusual city design and a hodge-podge of unique neighborhood "pockets" with diverse ethnic and architectural heritage.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 9m. Total distance: 4.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (3%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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