The drive from Slippery Rock, PA to Altoona, PA covers 116.8 miles and takes about 2h 40m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 422, Benjamin Franklin Highway, William Penn Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 50.8 miles on US 422.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.36 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
58.4 miles from Slippery Rock, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 22m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 40m. Total distance: 116.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Slippery Rock, PA to Altoona, PA covers 116.8 miles and takes about 2h 40m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 422 is the longest continuous segment at about 50.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 15.7 miles in.
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 15 significant decision points across 116.8 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 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.1 miles (US 422): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 39.4 miles (US 422): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
15.7 mi into trip|~23m in
Take the exit toward US 422 East: Kittanning
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 422 East: Kittanning
5
39.1 mi into trip|~55m in|US 422
Take the exit onto US 422 toward US 422 East, US 422 Business West: Indiana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 422 East, US 422 Business West: India...
6
39.4 mi into trip|~56m in|US 422
Keep slight right at fork onto US 422
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
91.4 mi into trip|~2h 8m in
Turn left toward US 22 East: Hollidaysburg
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 22 East: Hollidaysburg
6
108.6 mi into trip|~2h 29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Slippery Rock, PA to Altoona, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Bedford along the way.
Bedford
108.1 mi in|~2h 28m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 422
50.8 mi
1h 9m
Benjamin Franklin Highway
23.2 mi
31m
William Penn Highway
16.4 mi
19m
William Flinn Highway
7.1 mi
9m
I 99
4.4 mi
4m
North Main Street
4 mi
6m
Centreville Pike
4 mi
5m
17th Street
1.4 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 422
— 50.8 mi, about 1h 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Slippery Rock, PA and Altoona, PA.
1
Start on PA 173
0.6 mi·1 min·South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Continue on PA 173
4.0 mi·5 min·Centreville Pike
3
Turn slight right
323 ft·5 sec
4
Turn straight onto PA 8
7.1 mi·9 min·William Flinn Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on PA 8
4.0 mi·6 min·North Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·23 sec
Toward US 422 East: KittanningUse the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto US 422
23 mi·31 min·Benjamin Franklin Highway
8
Take the exit onto US 422
0.3 mi·33 sec·US 422
Toward US 422 East, US 422 Business West: Indiana
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 422
51 mi·1 hr 8 min·US 422
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on West High Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West High Street
11
Turn slight right onto Rowena Drive
0.6 mi·1 min·Rowena Drive
12
Merge onto Admiral Peary Highway
0.2 mi·28 sec·Admiral Peary Highway
Toward US 22 East: Hollidaysburg
13
Turn left
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward US 22 East: HollidaysburgUse the left lane.
14
Merge onto US 22
16 mi·19 min·William Penn Highway
15
Continue on this road
0.5 mi·45 sec·this road
Toward I 99, US 220: Altoona, Bedford
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi·1 min
Toward I 99 North, US 220 North: Altoona
17
Merge onto I 99; US 220
4.4 mi·4 min·I 99; US 220
18
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward 17th Street
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·21 sec
Toward Altoona
20
Turn straight onto 17th Street
1.4 mi·2 min·17th Street
21
Turn right onto PA 764
0.7 mi·1 min·6th Avenue
22
Turn left onto 7th Street
0.2 mi·18 sec·7th Street
23
Arrive at destination
7th Street
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 58.4 miles from Slippery Rock, PA, or about 1h 22m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50.8 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 26 miles or 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58.4 miles or 1h 22m 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 14m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Altoona, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Slippery Rock, 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 Slippery Rock, PA
This is one driving day of about 116.8 miles and 2h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from Slippery Rock, 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 US 422 for about 50.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 58.4 mi from Slippery Rock, PA
· 1h 22m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
National Memorial
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together...
10 mi from route
~25 min detour
Free
near mile 88.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.36 one way
$38.73 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg41 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$21.21
$42.42
premium
$4.93
$22.65
$45.30
diesel
$5.61
$25.79
$51.58
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$19
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
35
0
$12.26
$5.61
Efficient EV
29.2
0
$10.22
$4.67
EV Truck/SUV
46.7
0
$16.35
$7.48
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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
Slippery Rock, PA
Morning
in Slippery Rock on Friday
Local time
10:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Altoona, PA
Morning
in Altoona on Friday
Local time
10:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
Indiana, PA
58 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
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 40m 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 Slippery Rock, PA to Altoona, PA covers 116.8 miles and takes about 2h 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 422, Benjamin Franklin Highway, William Penn Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 58.4 miles from Slippery Rock, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $19.36 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 116.8 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 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.1 miles (US 422): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 39.4 miles (US 422): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Slippery Rock, PA to Altoona, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Bedford along the way.
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.
