You can make New York to Hershey in about 3.5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 185 miles on I-78 and US-322, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable close to the park gates.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving New York
Aim to clear New York before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 90 miles to Allentown.
The headline stop on this route is Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Allentown
Allentown sits about 90 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Nearby, Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Lancaster, the last stretch
Lancaster sits about 157 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Hershey
The final 29 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Hersheypark and Chocolate World; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster and Hersheypark and Chocolate World, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Hershey or Lancaster, PA is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-78 and US-322 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
