Pennsylvania sits in the dense middle of the East Coast, and your gas budget shows it. From Harrisburg, the closest drive — Maryland — is about $19 one way. The farthest, California, runs roughly $581. The happy part: because so much of the country is close by, more than a dozen states cost under $100 to reach, so a cheap road trip is almost always within range.
We built an interactive map that puts every state’s number in one place.
Here’s what makes it different from a typical gas calculator: instead of one national average, it uses each state’s real gas price for the miles you actually drive there. Pennsylvania’s pricier gas only applies to your Pennsylvania miles; cheap Tennessee gas only counts once you’re in Tennessee. There’s also an MPG box on the map — drop in your car’s real number and every figure updates instantly.
Pennsylvania to anywhere
Total: ~4,264 miles · ~70 hours · Passport required · Route through 4 Canadian provinces/territories · Estimated gas cost ~$1,030 one way
How We Calculate Gas Cost From Pennsylvania To Every State
The rules behind every number you’ll see:
- Vehicle: 20 MPG — a fair average for most cars and SUVs (set your own with the MPG box on the map)
- Routes: Real driving routes out of Harrisburg, not straight-line distance
- Destination: The geographic center city of each state
- Gas prices: Each state’s own AAA average — not a national blend
- Data source: AAA Gas Prices, June 2026
- Direction: One way from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
So a drive to Tennessee uses Tennessee’s gas price for the Tennessee miles — not Pennsylvania’s price stretched across the whole trip. That’s the difference between this and a one-number calculator.
Cheapest And Most Expensive Drives From Pennsylvania
- Maryland is the cheapest drive at $19 one way — 96 miles and well under two hours, barely a road trip at all.
- California is the most expensive at $581 — a 41-hour, 2,755-mile crossing, and it carries the priciest gas in the country at $5.76 a gallon.
- Texas is the best value for the distance: $298 for 1,609 miles, riding cheap southern gas for most of the run.
- The middle-of-everything bonus: from Harrisburg, more than a dozen states come in under $100 one way. Almost the entire Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and eastern Midwest is a short, cheap hop — that’s the upside of starting where Pennsylvania sits.
- Ohio is the sweet spot at $77 — a straight 5h35m shot west, an easy weekend distance.
How Long Does It Take To Drive From Pennsylvania To Every State?
Money’s one side of the coin; hours behind the wheel are the other. We mapped the drive time too, and it’s a wide range from here: a 1h40m skip into Maryland on the short end, out to a 41-hour push to California on the far one.
Pennsylvania to anywhere
Total: ~4,264 miles · ~70 hours · Passport required · Route through 4 Canadian provinces/territories · Estimated gas cost ~$1,030 one way
Gas Cost And Drive Time From Pennsylvania To Every State
Sorted by cost, lowest to highest. All figures one way from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at 20 MPG.
| State | Gas Cost | Drive Time | Miles | Gas Price There |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $19 | 1h 40m | 96 mi | $3.85 |
| Delaware | $26 | 2h 40m | 129 mi | $3.82 |
| New Jersey | $35 | 2h 50m | 168 mi | $4.13 |
| Virginia | $49 | 3h 50m | 246 mi | $3.83 |
| New York | $55 | 4h 15m | 255 mi | $4.38 |
| West Virginia | $60 | 4h 55m | 295 mi | $4.04 |
| Connecticut | $61 | 4h 35m | 287 mi | $4.24 |
| Rhode Island | $71 | 6h 20m | 335 mi | $4.08 |
| Massachusetts | $73 | 5h 45m | 347 mi | $4.20 |
| Ohio | $77 | 5h 35m | 367 mi | $4.09 |
| North Carolina | $82 | 6h 40m | 421 mi | $3.71 |
| Vermont | $96 | 7h 45m | 450 mi | $4.32 |
| New Hampshire | $99 | 8h 10m | 470 mi | $4.17 |
| Indiana | $110 | 8h 15m | 542 mi | $3.36 |
| South Carolina | $110 | 8h 40m | 570 mi | $3.70 |
| Michigan | $114 | 8h 10m | 546 mi | $4.20 |
| Kentucky | $118 | 9h 10m | 603 mi | $3.65 |
| Maine | $128 | 9h 50m | 609 mi | $4.17 |
| Tennessee | $137 | 10h 50m | 720 mi | $3.64 |
| Georgia | $146 | 11h 30m | 763 mi | $3.77 |
| Illinois | $151 | 11h 15m | 748 mi | $4.40 |
| Alabama | $160 | 12h 25m | 845 mi | $3.70 |
| Florida | $182 | 14h 30m | 958 mi | $3.86 |
| Mississippi | $188 | 15h 5m | 995 mi | $3.68 |
| Wisconsin | $188 | 14h 15m | 940 mi | $3.89 |
| Missouri | $193 | 14h 40m | 966 mi | $3.76 |
| Iowa | $198 | 14h 45m | 990 mi | $3.73 |
| Arkansas | $208 | 16h 25m | 1,108 mi | $3.70 |
| Louisiana | $228 | 18h 25m | 1,212 mi | $3.67 |
| Kansas | $236 | 18h | 1,197 mi | $3.74 |
| Minnesota | $236 | 17h 45m | 1,187 mi | $3.88 |
| Oklahoma | $243 | 18h 40m | 1,240 mi | $3.58 |
| Nebraska | $260 | 19h 55m | 1,311 mi | $3.91 |
| North Dakota | $287 | 21h 25m | 1,449 mi | $3.86 |
| South Dakota | $287 | 21h 20m | 1,445 mi | $3.98 |
| Texas | $298 | 24h | 1,609 mi | $3.54 |
| Colorado | $330 | 25h | 1,674 mi | $4.13 |
| Wyoming | $345 | 26h | 1,733 mi | $4.23 |
| New Mexico | $348 | 27h | 1,804 mi | $3.94 |
| Montana | $384 | 28h | 1,927 mi | $4.25 |
| Utah | $414 | 31h | 2,075 mi | $4.31 |
| Arizona | $439 | 33h | 2,238 mi | $4.44 |
| Idaho | $460 | 33h | 2,262 mi | $4.43 |
| Nevada | $501 | 36h | 2,423 mi | $4.93 |
| Washington | $545 | 39h | 2,615 mi | $5.53 |
| Oregon | $553 | 39h | 2,650 mi | $5.01 |
| California | $581 | 41h | 2,755 mi | $5.76 |
| Alaska ⚠️ | ~$1,030 | ~70h | ~4,264 mi | varies* |
*Alaska gas price varies by Canadian province; estimate uses a blended rate. All figures one way from Harrisburg, PA, at 20 MPG. AAA averages, June 2026.
Times are no traffic, direct route, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. Real world drive time will vary — budget extra for stops, construction, and the inevitable “we need snacks” moment 40 miles before the exit. 😄
Can You Drive From Pennsylvania To Alaska?
Yes, you can actually drive from Pennsylvania to Alaska. But let’s be real — this is a completely different kind of trip.
- Total miles: approximately 4,264 one way
- Drive time: roughly 70 hours
- Passport required: you drive through 4 Canadian provinces
- Route: Pennsylvania → Ohio → Indiana → Illinois → Wisconsin → Minnesota → North Dakota → Saskatchewan → Alberta → British Columbia → Yukon → Alaska
- Estimated gas cost: approximately $1,030 one way
British Columbia is typically the most expensive leg of the Canadian portion, and the sheer distance is what drives the total up. The Canadian provinces are surprisingly reasonable on their own — it’s just a LOT of road.
Worth knowing: some states issue Enhanced Driver’s Licenses that allow land border crossings into Canada without a full passport. Check with your state’s DMV before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because gas actually costs different amounts in different states. California and Washington run over $5.50 a gallon. Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee often sit under $3.65. If we used Pennsylvania’s price for the entire trip, you’d get a completely wrong number for anything far from home. We use the actual price in each state for the miles you drive there.
Using the geographic center of each state gives everyone a fair, consistent target. If we picked major cities, some states would look artificially cheap or expensive just because their biggest city happens to sit near a border. The center point puts every state on equal footing.
No — all numbers are one way. Double it for a rough round trip estimate, though your return cost may vary a little depending on gas prices when you travel.
Use the MPG box above the map — type your number and every cost updates instantly.
Gas prices are based on AAA state averages from June 2026. Gas prices change constantly — for the most current numbers before your trip, check aaa.com/gas.
Ready To Start Planning?
Now that you know what gas will cost, the fun part is picking a direction. Check out our Pennsylvania road trip guides for ideas on where to stop and what to see — whether you’re staying close in the Poconos and Dutch Country or using that central spot to reach a whole lot of the country in a single tank or two.
Hi, I’m Alice. I’ve been running Road Trip Owl for five years and taking 6+ multi-day road trips a year (plus more weekend escapes than I can count). These maps come from the real road — real routes, real prices, no national averages.
