The Cost of Driving From Altoona, Pennsylvania to Indianapolis, Indiana based on current Gas Prices

Have you been thinking about taking a road trip from Altoona, Pennsylvania to Indianapolis, Indiana? Driving can be a fun and affordable way to travel. However, it's important to estimate the cost and choose the best route that suits your budget and schedule. In this blog post, we'll discuss the cost, distance, and time of each route based on current gas prices.

Route 1: via I-80 W

This route takes you through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, and is approximately 406 miles long. The estimated driving time is around 6 hours and 30 minutes without considering any stops you may want to make along the way.

To calculate the cost with current gas prices, we assume your vehicle's gas mileage is 25 miles per gallon (mpg) or higher, and the current gas price is $2.80 per gallon. To drive this route, you will need about 16.24 gallons of gas which will cost you approximately $45.38 in fuel.

There are also tolls you need to consider while taking this route. Along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you will pay a total of $23.65 in toll fees to drive from Altoona to the Ohio border, and another $21.70 to enter Indiana. This will bring your total cost to approximately $90.73 one way.

Route 2: via US-22 W and I-70 W

This route takes you through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana and is around 470 miles long. It'll take you roughly 7 hours and 30 minutes to get there, factoring in stops for food, gas, and rest.

Following the same method as Route 1, you can expect to use about 18.8 gallons of gas, which will cost you around $52.64. There are several tolls on this route, including $8 to cross the Pennsylvania Turnpike, $4.25 for the West Virginia Turnpike, and $16.60 to cross the Ohio Turnpike. This brings your total one-way cost to around $116.49.

Route 3: via I-76 W and I-70 W

This route takes you through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana, and is approximately 494 miles long. It'll take you about 8 hours to reach Indianapolis, giving you enough time to take in the sights and sounds on the way.

If you have a car with a fuel efficiency of 25 mpg or greater, you can expect to use around 19.76 gallons of gas on this route, costing you around $55.33. Once again, taking into account the tolls on the PA, West Virginia, and Ohio Turnpikes, as well as the Indianapolis Downtown Toll Road ($1.00), the total one-way cost for this route is around $124.18.

Final Thoughts

Driving can be a fun way to travel, giving you the freedom to explore and take detours as you go. However, it's vital to estimate the cost before taking off. Based on distance, time, gas, and toll prices, it's essential to choose the route that suits your budget and schedule the best. As always, remember to drive safely and enjoy the journey!