Skip to main content

Trip from Scranton, PA to Nixon, PA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

5h 36m

Distance

286.2 mi

461 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$47

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
5h 23m ★
6 AM
5h 36m
8 AM
6h 3m
10 AM
5h 45m
12 PM
5h 43m
3 PM
5h 47m
5 PM
6h 1m
8 PM
5h 28m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Nixon, PA, PA

Nixon, PA

Florian Lisi

Trip Overview

This 286.2-mile journey from Scranton to Nixon, Pennsylvania, will take approximately 5 hours and 36 minutes of driving time. With a fuel cost estimated at $47, it's an economical trip entirely within the Northeast region. The route primarily utilizes the Keystone Shortway and the American Legion Memorial Highway, with a smaller portion on PA 38. Given its duration, this drive is well-suited for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your departure and stop schedule. Expect a local driving feel for most of this Pennsylvania traverse.

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

143.1 miles from Scranton, PA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 41m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 36m. Total distance: 286.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (9%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

This route offers a turn-heavy local drive experience, with only 9% of the total mileage on highways. You'll spend the majority of your time navigating local roads, which means more frequent turns and a less predictable pace. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 216.8 miles on the Keystone Shortway, offering a significant period of more consistent travel before transitioning to more varied road conditions. This drive is less about monotonous highway miles and more about engaging with the Pennsylvania landscape at a more intimate level.

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 216.8 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 0.1 miles in near Lackawanna Avenue.

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 36m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow 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 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 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

4
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | River Street

Turn left onto River Street

Navigation decision point

5
34.4 mi into trip | ~43m in

Take the exit toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 151B Toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
6
279.9 mi into trip | ~5h 25m in | PA 8; PA 356 / South Main Street

Turn left onto PA 8; PA 356 / South Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Keystone Shortway 216.8 mi 3h 53m
American Legion Memorial Highway 32.7 mi 39m
PA 38 26.1 mi 42m
Pittsburgh Road 5.7 mi 9m
East Jefferson Street 1.7 mi 3m
River Street 0.9 mi 1m
South Main Street 0.4 mi 1m
Cedar Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Keystone Shortway — 216.8 mi, about 3h 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Scranton, PA and Nixon, 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

33 mi · 39 min · American Legion Memorial Highway
8

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 151B Toward I-80 West: Bloomsburg
9

Merge onto I 80

217 mi · 3 hr 53 min · Keystone Shortway
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 38 sec
Toward PA 38: Emlenton
11

Turn left onto PA 38

26 mi · 42 min · PA 38
12

Turn right onto PA 68

1.7 mi · 3 min · East Jefferson Street
13

Turn left onto PA 8; PA 356

0.4 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
14

Continue on PA 8

0.2 mi · 33 sec · General Richard Butler Bridge
15

Continue on PA 8

0.5 mi · 1 min · Pittsburgh Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Continue on PA 8

5.1 mi · 8 min · Pittsburgh Road
Use the straight lane.
17

Turn left

142 ft · 10 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

For this 5-hour and 36-minute drive, consider an early morning departure from Scranton to maximize your daylight hours and allow for a relaxed pace. With only one recommended stop, you have plenty of flexibility to break up the 286.2 miles as needed. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially before embarking on the 216.8-mile stretch on the Keystone Shortway, as services might be less frequent. The turn-heavy nature of this route means paying close attention to navigation, so ensure your GPS is set up before you leave.

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 143.1 miles from Scranton, PA, or about 2h 41m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 216.8 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 14m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 143.1 miles or 2h 41m 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 Nixon, 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 286.2 miles and 5h 36m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 63 miles from Scranton, 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 216.8 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 143.1 mi from Scranton, PA · 2h 41m into the drive

borough of Pennsylvania, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Clearfield, PA

143 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

Harrisburg, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 63 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Clearfield, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 143.1 miles from Scranton, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Keystone Shortway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 216.8 miles.

Arriving in Nixon, PA

The final approach into Nixon, 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 Nixon, 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

$47.45 one way

$94.90 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 100 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $51.97 $103.93
premium $4.93 $55.50 $111.01
diesel $5.61 $63.19 $126.38

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$47

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$72–$97

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 100.1 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 85.9 1 $30.05 $13.74
Efficient EV 71.6 0 $25.04 $11.45
EV Truck/SUV 114.5 1 $40.07 $18.32

Gas CO2

100 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.

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

3:53 AM

EDT

Current temp

43°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Nixon, PA

Late night in Nixon on Friday

Local time

3:53 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

44°F

Clearfield, PA

143 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

1 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 36m 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 Scranton, PA to Nixon, PA covers 286.2 miles and takes about 5h 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Keystone Shortway, American Legion Memorial Highway, PA 38. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 143.1 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 $47.45 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 36m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

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 0.6 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point.

The route from Scranton, PA to Nixon, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Scranton, PA or browse trips ending in Nixon, PA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.