Origin
Pittsburgh, PA
Afternoon in Pittsburgh on Saturday
Local time
3:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 35m
Distance
281.9 mi
454 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$47
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pittsburgh, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Dale, PA
Haneul Trac
The drive from Pittsburgh, PA to Dale, PA covers 281.9 miles and takes about 5h 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Pennsylvania Turnpike, US 222, Penn-Lincoln Parkway East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 230.8 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $46.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
141 miles from Pittsburgh, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 40m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Turnpike | 230.8 mi | 4h 12m |
| US 222 | 16.9 mi | 22m |
| Penn-Lincoln Parkway East | 13.6 mi | 18m |
| Oysterdale Road | 5.3 mi | 10m |
| Pricetown Road | 3.2 mi | 6m |
| Philadelphia Avenue | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Forgedale Road | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| Blandon Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
Step-by-step road directions between Pittsburgh, PA and Dale, PA.
Start on Grant Street
Continue on Grant Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 76; PATP
Take the exit
Continue on Colonel Howard Boulevard
Keep slight left at fork onto Colonel Howard Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto US 222
Continue on US 222
Continue on PA 12
Turn right onto PA 73
Enter roundabout onto PA 73
Continue on PA 73
Continue on PA 73; PA 662
Enter roundabout onto PA 73
Continue on PA 73
Turn left onto Oysterdale Road
At end of road, turn right onto Baldy Hill Road
Turn left onto Forgedale Road
Turn left onto Dale Road
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 62 miles or 1h 14m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 141 miles or 2h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dale, PA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Pittsburgh, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Pittsburgh, PA
This is one driving day of about 281.9 miles and 5h 35m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
141 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 62 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 141 miles from Pittsburgh, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Pennsylvania Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 230.8 miles.
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 0.7 and 246.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Merge onto I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 76, PATP: Ohio, Harrisburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 76 East: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 222: Reading, Ephrata
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward US 222 North: Reading
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$46.74 one way
$93.47 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $51.19 | $102.37 |
| premium | $4.93 | $54.67 | $109.34 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $62.24 | $124.48 |
Estimated Tolls: $30.01
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Tolls
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$102–$127
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 84.6 | 1 | $29.60 | $13.53 |
| Efficient EV | 70.5 | 0 | $24.67 | $11.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 112.8 | 1 | $39.47 | $18.04 |
Gas CO2
99 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
3:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Destination
Afternoon in Dale on Saturday
Local time
3:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
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
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
National Memorial
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their live...
National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
National Battlefield
The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal...
National Memorial
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together...
National Historical Park
Valley Forge is the place where George Washington and the Continental Army took refuge during the winter of 1777-1778. Today the park protects 3,500 acres of meadows, woodlands, historic landscapes, a...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
281.9 mi in 5h 35m, mostly highway — 230.8 mi of that is on Pennsylvania Turnpike.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and US 222. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 281.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (I 376; US 22; US 30 / Penn-Lincoln Parkway East): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pittsburgh, PA and Dale, PA, road signs point toward Patp: Ohio, Harrisburg and Ephrata.
Patp: Ohio
Harrisburg
Ephrata
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 5h 35m. Total distance: 281.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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