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Trip from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, PA

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

Drive Time

2h 26m

Distance

121.5 mi

196 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$20

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 17m ★
6 AM
2h 27m
8 AM
2h 47m
10 AM
2h 34m
12 PM
2h 32m
3 PM
2h 35m
5 PM
2h 46m
8 PM
2h 21m

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

unincorporated community in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania

Cheltenham, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, PA covers 121.5 miles and takes about 2h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Lackawanna Avenue, Cedar Avenue, River Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.14 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

60.8 miles from Scranton, PA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 13m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 26m. Total distance: 121.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 26m drive with frequent turns across 121.5 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Lackawanna Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, PA is easy. At 2h 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, PA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Lackawanna Avenue
Cedar Avenue
River Street
American Legion Memorial Highway
PA 315 South
I 476
I 476 South
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Lackawanna Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Scranton, PA and Cheltenham, PA.

1

Start on Wyoming Avenue

0.1 mi · 38 sec · Wyoming Avenue
2

At the end of the road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Lackawanna Avenue
3

Turn right onto Cedar Avenue

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Cedar Avenue
4

Continue on Cedar Avenue

400 ft · 13 sec · Cedar Avenue
5

Turn left onto River Street

0.9 mi · 1 min · River Street
6

Take the ramp right

0.2 mi · 29 sec
7

Merge slight left onto American Legion Memorial Highway

8.4 mi · 9 min · American Legion Memorial Highway
8

Take the exit slight right toward PA 315 South: Pittston

0.2 mi · 27 sec · PA 315 South: Pittston
9

Continue straight

0.2 mi · 23 sec
10

Take the exit slight right toward I 476, I 81 North, PATP

341 ft · 8 sec · I 476, I 81 North, PATP
11

Keep slight left to continue on I 476: Clarks Summit, Allentown

0.4 mi · 58 sec · I 476: Clarks Summit, Allentown
12

Continue straight

499 ft · 17 sec
13

Keep slight right to continue on I 476 South: Allentown

0.3 mi · 40 sec · I 476 South: Allentown
14

Merge slight left onto Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension

94 mi · 1 hr 44 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
15

Take the exit slight right toward I 276 East: New Jersey

0.3 mi · 40 sec · I 276 East: New Jersey
16

Merge slight left onto Pennsylvania Turnpike

4.6 mi · 4 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike
17

Take the exit slight right toward PA 309: Philadelphia, Ambler

0.7 mi · 1 min · PA 309: Philadelphia, Ambler
18

Keep slight left to continue on PA 309 South: Philadelphia, Fort Washington

0.2 mi · 26 sec · PA 309 South: Philadelphia, Fort Washington
19

Turn right onto PA 309 South: Philadelphia

0.3 mi · 41 sec · PA 309 South: Philadelphia
20

Merge slight left onto Fort Washington Expressway

1.4 mi · 1 min · Fort Washington Expressway
21

Continue on Fort Washington Fort Washington Expressway

0.8 mi · 1 min · Fort Washington Fort Washington Expressway
22

Continue on Fort Washington Expressway

2.2 mi · 3 min · Fort Washington Expressway
23

Continue on Limekiln Pike

515 ft · 21 sec · Limekiln Pike
24

Turn left onto Greenwood Avenue

387 ft · 15 sec · Greenwood Avenue
25

Continue on Greenwood Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Greenwood Avenue
26

Turn right onto Church Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Church Road
27

Turn left onto Washington Lane

0.7 mi · 1 min · Washington Lane
28

Turn right onto Township Line Road

2.2 mi · 5 min · Township Line Road
29

Continue on Cottman Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Cottman Avenue
30

Turn right onto Central Avenue

0.4 mi · 42 sec · Central Avenue
31

Turn left onto East Laurel Avenue

151 ft · 7 sec · East Laurel Avenue
32

Arrive at your destination

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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 60.8 miles from Scranton, PA, or about 1h 13m into the drive.

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 27 miles or 32m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 60.8 miles or 1h 13m 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

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cheltenham, 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 121.5 miles and 2h 26m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Scranton, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 60.8 mi from Scranton, PA · 1h 13m into the drive

borough in Pennsylvania, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Palmerton, PA

61 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

Hudson, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 27 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Palmerton, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 60.8 miles from Scranton, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cheltenham, PA

The final approach into Cheltenham, 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 Cheltenham, PA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$20.14 one way

$40.29 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 43 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $22.06 $44.12
premium $4.93 $23.56 $47.13
diesel $5.61 $26.83 $53.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$20

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$45–$70

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 42.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $13 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 36.4 0 $12.76 $5.83
Efficient EV 30.4 0 $10.63 $4.86
EV Truck/SUV 48.6 0 $17.01 $7.78

Gas CO2

43 kg

EV CO2

14 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

Afternoon in Scranton on Friday

Local time

2:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

43°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cheltenham, PA

Afternoon in Cheltenham on Friday

Local time

2:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°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

4 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 26m 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 Cheltenham, PA covers 121.5 miles and takes about 2h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Lackawanna Avenue, Cedar Avenue, River Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 60.8 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 $20.14 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.

The drive from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, PA is easy. At 2h 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, PA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Scranton, PA to Cheltenham, 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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