The drive from Scranton, PA to Jacksonwald, PA covers 102.8 miles and takes about 2h 15m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, American Legion Memorial Highway, Memorial Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 57 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.04 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.
Midpoint
51.4 miles from Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 1m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 15m. Total distance: 102.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 15m highway drive covering 102.8 miles, with most of the trip on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and American Legion Memorial Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 57 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 40 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension is the longest continuous segment at about 57 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and American Legion Memorial Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lackawanna Avenue.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 102.8 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 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 10.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 26 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
8
10.5 mi into trip|~14m in
Take the exit toward I 476, I 81 North, PATP
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 476, I 81 North, PATP
6
10.6 mi into trip|~14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 476: Clarks Summit, Allentown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 476: Clarks Summit, Allentown
6
68.3 mi into trip|~1h 20m in
Take the exit toward I 78, US 22, PA 309: Allentown, Harrisburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 56
Toward I 78, US 22, PA 309: Allentown, Harrisbu...
7
72.1 mi into trip|~1h 26m in
Take the exit toward PA 100 South: Trexlertown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 49A
Toward PA 100 South: Trexlertown
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Scranton, PA and Jacksonwald, PA, road signs point toward Patp, Allentown and Harrisburg.
The midpoint is around 51.4 miles from Scranton, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Jacksonwald, PA
The final approach into Jacksonwald, 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 Jacksonwald, 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.
Valley Forge National Historical Park
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...
25 mi from route
~63 min detour
Free
near mile 99.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.04 one way
$34.09 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg36 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$18.67
$37.33
premium
$4.93
$19.94
$39.87
diesel
$5.61
$22.70
$45.39
Estimated Tolls: $7.84
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(57 mi)$7.41
Oley Turnpike Road
(5 mi)$0.35
Lehigh Valley Thruway
(1.1 mi)$0.08
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
$17
Tolls
$8
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$50–$75
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 36 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
$10.79
$4.93
Efficient EV
25.7
0
$9.00
$4.11
EV Truck/SUV
41.1
0
$14.39
$6.58
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
Late night
in Scranton on Friday
Local time
4:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Jacksonwald, PA
Late night
in Jacksonwald on Friday
Local time
4:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
3 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 15m 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 Jacksonwald, PA covers 102.8 miles and takes about 2h 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, American Legion Memorial Highway, Memorial Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 51.4 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 $17.04 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 is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 102.8 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 10.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Scranton, PA and Jacksonwald, PA, road signs point toward Patp, Allentown and Harrisburg.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Valley Forge National Historical Park.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
