Scranton to Avon is 102.5 miles and takes about 2h 13m via American Legion Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $17 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Pennsylvania, traversing the Northeast region. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than an interstate cruise. It's a manageable trip for a single day, perfect if you're looking for a straightforward journey without extensive planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
51.2 miles from Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 2m into the drive
.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 13m. Total distance: 102.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route offers a turn-heavy local drive with a 33% highway share. You'll experience a mix of road types as you navigate through towns and countryside. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 59.7 miles along the American Legion Memorial Highway. Be prepared for frequent changes in speed and direction as you make your way across the landscape.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
American Legion Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 59.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 18 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lackawanna Avenue.
Driving Effort6/10
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 102.5 miles you will encounter 18 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 (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 61.9 miles (PA 61 / Skyline Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Lackawanna Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue
Turn right onto CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue
Navigation decision point
8
61.9 mi into trip|~1h 15m in|PA 61 / Skyline Drive
Turn uturn onto PA 61 / Skyline Drive
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
89.1 mi into trip|~1h 53m in
Take the exit toward PA 501: Bethel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13
Toward PA 501: Bethel
7
89.3 mi into trip|~1h 54m in|PA 501 / Lancaster Avenue
Turn left onto PA 501 / Lancaster Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
American Legion Memorial Highway
59.7 mi
1h 10m
Chestnut Street
9.5 mi
14m
Lancaster Avenue
5.6 mi
6m
Skyline Drive
4.4 mi
5m
William Penn Highway
3.6 mi
4m
Route 61 South
2.8 mi
3m
East Cumberland Street
2.7 mi
4m
West Lincoln Avenue
2.5 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 59.7 mi, about 1h 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scranton, PA and Avon, PA.
1
Start on Wyoming Avenue
0.1 mi·38 sec·Wyoming Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue
0.2 mi·24 sec·Lackawanna Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 3023
0.2 mi·22 sec·Cedar Avenue
4
Continue on Cedar Avenue
400 ft·12 sec·Cedar Avenue
5
Turn left onto River Street
0.9 mi·1 min·River Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
7
Merge onto I 81
60 mi·1 hr 10 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Exit 124BToward PA 61 North: Frackville
9
Turn straight onto PA 61
500 ft·13 sec·Skyline Drive
10
Turn uturn onto PA 61
4.3 mi·5 min·Skyline Drive
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on PA 61
1.1 mi·1 min·Joseph H. Long Boulevard
12
Continue on PA 61
1.0 mi·1 min·Pottsville Saint Clair Highway
13
Continue on PA 61
1.6 mi·2 min·North Claude A. Lord Boulevard
14
Continue on PA 61
0.2 mi·14 sec·Pottsville Boulevard
15
Continue on PA 61
2.8 mi·3 min·Route 61 South
16
Take the exit
0.1 mi·14 sec
17
Turn straight onto PA 183
0.6 mi·1 min·Pottsville Street
18
Turn left onto PA 183
0.3 mi·26 sec·South Sillyman Street
19
Continue on PA 183
0.9 mi·2 min·Chestnut Street
20
Continue on PA 183
8.6 mi·12 min·Chestnut Street
21
Turn slight right onto PA 419
1.9 mi·2 min·Four Point Road
22
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·29 sec
Toward I 78 West, US 22 West: Harrisburg
23
Merge onto I 78; US 22
3.6 mi·4 min·William Penn Highway
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi·28 sec
Exit 13Toward PA 501: BethelUse the slight right lane.
25
Turn left onto PA 501
0.3 mi·42 sec·Lancaster Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
26
Continue on PA 501
1.2 mi·1 min·Lancaster Avenue
Use the right lane.
27
At end of road, turn right onto PA 501
4.1 mi·4 min·Lancaster Avenue
28
Continue on PA 501
2.2 mi·2 min·North College Street
29
Turn right onto US 422
2.5 mi·4 min·West Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
30
Continue on US 422
2.7 mi·4 min·East Cumberland Street
31
Turn left onto North 11th Avenue
247 ft·16 sec·North 11th Avenue
32
Turn left onto Old Cumberland Street
0.1 mi·20 sec·Old Cumberland Street
33
Arrive at destination
Old Cumberland Street
Trip Plan
Given the 2h 13m duration, this trip is ideal for a single day, allowing for a relaxed start. You won't need to plan for overnight stays, giving you flexibility. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially before departing, as the estimated cost is $17. While there are no designated stops mentioned, the drive is short enough that you can easily pull over if needed, though the longest stretch is almost 60 miles, so plan for a break if you prefer not to drive that far continuously.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 51.2 miles from Scranton, PA, or about 1h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 59.7 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 23 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 51.2 miles or 1h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Avon, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Scranton, 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 Scranton, PA
This is one driving day of about 102.5 miles and 2h 13m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Scranton, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on American Legion Memorial Highway for about 59.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 51.2 mi from Scranton, PA
· 1h 2m into the drive
The midpoint is around 51.2 miles from Scranton, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Avon, PA
The final approach into Avon, 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 Avon, PA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
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...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
Free
near mile 102.5
Park Closure: List of trail closures post-Hurricane Helene
Caution: Black Bears Frequenting the McAfee Knob Area in Virginia
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.99 one way
$33.99 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg36 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$18.61
$37.22
premium
$4.93
$19.88
$39.76
diesel
$5.61
$22.63
$45.26
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 35.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
30.8
0
$10.76
$4.92
Efficient EV
25.6
0
$8.97
$4.10
EV Truck/SUV
41
0
$14.35
$6.56
Gas CO2
36 kg
EV CO2
12 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Scranton, PA
Night
in Scranton on Friday
Local time
11:30 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Avon, PA
Night
in Avon on Friday
Local time
11:30 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
19 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
2h 13m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Scranton, PA to Avon, PA covers 102.5 miles and takes about 2h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are American Legion Memorial Highway, Chestnut Street, Lancaster Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 51.2 miles from Scranton, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.99 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 102.5 miles you will encounter 18 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 61.9 miles (PA 61 / Skyline Drive): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Scranton, PA to Avon, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
