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Trip from Scranton, PA to Wilkes-Barre, PA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

28m

Distance

19.7 mi

32 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

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

county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Scranton, PA to Wilkes-Barre, PA covers 19.7 miles and takes about 28m 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 $3.27 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 28m drive with frequent turns across 19.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA is easy. At 28m 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 Wilkes-Barre, 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
Wilkes-Barre
Highland Park Boulevard
Coal Street
North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard

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 Wilkes-Barre, 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

15 mi · 18 min · American Legion Memorial Highway
8

Take the exit slight right toward Wilkes-Barre

0.7 mi · 1 min · Wilkes-Barre
9

Keep slight left

381 ft · 17 sec
10

Turn left onto Highland Park Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · Highland Park Boulevard
11

Continue on Coal Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · Coal Street
12

Turn left onto North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard

0.2 mi · 30 sec · North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard
13

Turn right onto East Market Street

0.3 mi · 36 sec · East Market Street
14

Enter the roundabout toward Public Square

180 ft · 4 sec · Public Square
15

Arrive at your destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.27 one way

$6.53 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $3.58 $7.15
premium $4.93 $3.82 $7.64
diesel $5.61 $4.35 $8.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.95
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.79
EV Truck/SUV 7.9 0 $2.76 $1.26

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 Thursday

Local time

1:58 PM

EDT

Current temp

43°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Afternoon in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday

Local time

1:58 PM

EDT

Current temp

60°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

17 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

28m 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA covers 19.7 miles and takes about 28m 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 9.9 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 $3.27 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA is easy. At 28m 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Scranton, PA to Wilkes-Barre, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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