Origin
Prospect, PA
Morning in Prospect on Saturday
Local time
9:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prospect, 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
5h 29m
Distance
287.4 mi
463 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$48
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 16m
★
6 AM
5h 30m
8 AM
5h 56m
10 AM
5h 39m
12 PM
5h 36m
3 PM
5h 40m
5 PM
5h 55m
8 PM
5h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trip Overview
The drive from Prospect, PA to Scranton, PA covers 287.4 miles and takes about 5h 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Keystone Shortway, I 81, William Flinn Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 230.2 miles on Keystone Shortway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $47.65 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
143.7 miles from Prospect, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 47m into the drive .
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 5h 29m. Total distance: 287.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (11%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 5h 29m drive with frequent turns across 287.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Keystone Shortway is the longest continuous segment at about 230.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 8.3 miles in near PA 8 / William Flinn Highway.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 29m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.3 miles (PA 8 / William Flinn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 252.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 286.8 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
8.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
PA 8 / William Flinn Highway
At end of road, turn left onto PA 8 / William Flinn Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
252.6 mi into trip
|
~4h 44m in
Take the exit toward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 260B
Toward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
7
286.8 mi into trip
|
~5h 28m in
|
Cedar Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
287.2 mi into trip
|
~5h 29m in
|
Biden Street
Turn left onto Biden Street
Navigation decision point
5
287.4 mi into trip
|
~5h 29m in
|
Wyoming Avenue
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Keystone Shortway | 230.2 mi | 4h 8m |
| I 81 | 32.4 mi | 39m |
| William Flinn Highway | 10.3 mi | 14m |
| Prospect Road | 7.6 mi | 13m |
| Pittsburgh Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| South Main Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| River Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Franklin Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 230.2 mi, about 4h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prospect, PA and Scranton, PA.
1
Start on PA 488
123 ft
·
3 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn right onto PA 528
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Franklin Street
3
Continue on PA 528
7.6 mi
·
13 min
·
Prospect Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto PA 8
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
William Flinn Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on PA 8
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
6
Continue on PA 8
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
William Flinn Highway
7
Continue on PA 8
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Pittsburgh Road
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
9
Merge onto I 80
230 mi
·
4 hr 8 min
·
Keystone Shortway
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 260B
Toward I 81 North: Wilkes-Barre
11
Merge onto I 81
32 mi
·
39 min
·
I 81
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward PA 307
13
Turn left onto River Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
River Street
14
At end of road, turn right onto Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Cedar Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on Adams Avenue
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Adams Avenue
16
Turn left onto Biden Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Biden Street
17
Turn right onto Wyoming Avenue
135 ft
·
4 sec
·
Wyoming Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
Wyoming Avenue
Trip Plan
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 143.7 miles from Prospect, PA, or about 2h 47m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 230.2 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 63 miles or 1h 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 143.7 miles or 2h 47m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Scranton, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Prospect, 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 Prospect, PA
This is one driving day of about 287.4 miles and 5h 29m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 63 miles from Prospect, 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 Keystone Shortway for about 230.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 143.7 mi from Prospect, PA · 2h 47m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
144 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 63 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 143.7 miles from Prospect, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Keystone Shortway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 230.2 miles.
Arriving in Scranton, PA
The final approach into Scranton, PA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Scranton, PA.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$47.65 one way
$95.29 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
101 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $52.18 | $104.37 |
| premium | $4.93 | $55.74 | $111.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $63.45 | $126.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$48
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$73–$98
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 100.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 86.2 | 1 | $30.18 | $13.80 |
| Efficient EV | 71.9 | 0 | $25.15 | $11.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 115 | 1 | $40.24 | $18.39 |
Gas CO2
101 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (66% 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Scranton, PA
Morning in Scranton on Saturday
Local time
9:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Clearfield, PA
144 mi in
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
3 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
5h 29m on the road
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Prospect, PA to Scranton, PA covers 287.4 miles and takes about 5h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Keystone Shortway, I 81, William Flinn Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 143.7 miles from Prospect, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $47.65 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 5h 29m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.3 miles (PA 8 / William Flinn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 252.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 286.8 miles (Cedar Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Prospect, PA to Scranton, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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