Origin
Pleasant Hills, PA
Afternoon in Pleasant Hills on Saturday
Local time
3:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pleasant Hills, PA to Erie, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 44m
Distance
135.9 mi
219 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$23
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 34m
★
6 AM
2h 44m
8 AM
3h 6m
10 AM
2h 52m
12 PM
2h 50m
3 PM
2h 53m
5 PM
3h 5m
8 PM
2h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pleasant Hills, PA
Michael Taccetta
Erie, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Pleasant Hills, PA to Erie, PA covers 135.9 miles and takes about 2h 44m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 79, Parkway North, Saw Mill Run Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 111.2 miles on I 79. At current regular gas prices, budget about $22.53 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
67.9 miles from Pleasant Hills, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 26m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 79 | 111.2 mi | 2h |
| Parkway North | 11.6 mi | 16m |
| Saw Mill Run Boulevard | 3.5 mi | 7m |
| Clairton Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| West 12th Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Liberty Tunnels | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Veterans Bridge | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Liberty Bridge | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 79
— 111.2 mi, about 2h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pleasant Hills, PA and Erie, PA.
1
Start on Caryl Drive
370 ft
·
23 sec
·
Caryl Drive
2
Turn left onto Constitution Drive
328 ft
·
15 sec
·
Constitution Drive
3
Turn right onto Old Clairton Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Clairton Road
4
Turn left onto PA 51
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Clairton Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on PA 51
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Saw Mill Run Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on PA 51; Blue Belt
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Saw Mill Run Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on this road
361 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
9
Turn right onto Liberty Tunnels
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Liberty Tunnels
Use the right lane.
10
Continue on Liberty Bridge
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Liberty Bridge
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 579 North
12
Continue on I 579
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Crosstown Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 579
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Veterans Bridge
14
Continue on I 279
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Parkway North
15
Merge onto I 79
111 mi
·
2 hr
·
I 79
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 183A
Toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
17
Turn right onto PA 5; PA 290
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
West 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Turn left onto State Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
Use the left lane.
19
Arrive at destination
State Street
Trip Plan
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 67.9 miles from Pleasant Hills, PA, or about 1h 26m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 111.2 miles.
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 30 miles or 45m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 67.9 miles or 1h 26m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Erie, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Pleasant Hills, 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 Pleasant Hills, PA
This is one driving day of about 135.9 miles and 2h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Pleasant Hills, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 79 for about 111.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
68 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 67.9 miles from Pleasant Hills, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 79 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 111.2 miles.
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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 135.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Constitution Drive
Turn left onto Constitution Drive
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
PA 51 / Clairton Boulevard
Turn left onto PA 51 / Clairton Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
132.8 mi into trip
|
~2h 37m in
Take the exit toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 183A
Toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street
6
135.4 mi into trip
|
~2h 42m in
|
State Street
Turn left onto State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.53 one way
$45.06 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
48 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $24.68 | $49.35 |
| premium | $4.93 | $26.36 | $52.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $30.01 | $60.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 47.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 40.8 | 0 | $14.27 | $6.52 |
| Efficient EV | 34 | 0 | $11.89 | $5.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 54.4 | 0 | $19.03 | $8.70 |
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (67% 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
Erie, PA
Afternoon in Erie on Saturday
Local time
3:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
W 14 mph
44% chance
Live forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 14 at 5:10PM EDT until April 14 at 5:30PM EDT by NWS Pittsburgh PA
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued April 14 at 2:51PM EDT until April 14 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 44m 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?
135.9 mi in 2h 44m, mostly highway — 111.2 mi of that is on I 79.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 111.2 mi on I 79.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 79 and Parkway North. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Constitution Drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 135.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.1 miles (Constitution Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (PA 51 / Clairton Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Erie, PA
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 44m. Total distance: 135.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 111.2 miles on I 79. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Constitution Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (PA 51 / Clairton Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Erie, 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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