Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls by car is 238 miles, with a 3h36m driving time. The best road trip stops to add on the Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls drive are Oil Creek State Park, the Westfield wineries and Buffalo.
Planning a Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls road trip itinerary
The Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls drive takes you from a surprisingly gorgeous city in western Pennsylvania to the world’s most famous waterfall in New York State.
Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania is a monstrously underrated city, with a series of stellar attractions. Get great views from the top of the Duquesne Incline, enjoy the globally-themed rooms at the unmissable Cathedral of Learning and become immersed in pop art at the Warhol Museum.
You can explore Pittsburgh with a hop-on, hop-off bus pass. Pittsburgh experiences include bike tours full of stories, guided whiskey-themed walks and craft beer sampling on a multi-brewery tour.
For Pittsburgh hotels with great reviews, try the Italian villa-style Priory Hotel or the often good value Drury Plaza Hotel Pittsburgh Downtown.
There are two cities called Niagara Falls, one either side of the infamous waterfall. The city of Niagara Falls, Canada, offers much more for tourists, and is something of a mini-Vegas. You’re better off crossing the border and choosing from a vast array of experiences in Niagara Falls, Canada.
However, for the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you’re staying in the United States. Things to do in Niagara Falls, New York include the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the falls, a Cave of the Winds highlights package tour and a mobsters tour full of stories that takes in the illuminated falls after dark.
Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls is 238 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 36 minutes. The quickest route follows the I-79, I-90 and I-190.
The best stops to add to a Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls road trip itinerary are Oil Creek State Park, the Westfield wineries and Buffalo.
Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls road trip attractions: Oil Creek State Park
A short detour off the I-79 will bring you to Oil Creek State Park. The natural setting is pretty enough in this corner of north-western Pennsylvania, but that’s not really why anyone visits.
Oil Creek was the site of the world’s first commercial oil well. Drake’s Well was drilled in 1859, and sparked what is now the most lucrative industry on earth.
You can find out more about the first oil well at the Drake’s Well Museum near Titusville, but the informational signs in the State Park do much the same job.
Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls drive: The Westfield wineries
The town of Westfield is the hub of the western New York wine region, and there are several wineries that are open to the public for tastings.
Top choices include the Johnson Estate, the Mogen David Wine Corporation and Barger Vineyards.
There are also tastings available at the Grape Discovery Center, which aims to educate visitors about the wines grown in the area.
Best stops between Pittsburgh and Niagara Falls: Buffalo
Buffalo is often written off as the gateway to Niagara Falls, but there’s more to the city than that. Cultural highlights include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
The waterside Buffalo Harbor State Park, meanwhile, offers paddleboard and kayak rentals plus a beach and playgrounds.
Good experiences in Buffalo include Best of Buffalo double decker bus tours, a history of chicken wings food tour and the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration National Historic Site.
For excellent places to stay in Buffalo, try the historic landmark Richardson Hotel or the charming Hotel at the Lafayette.
More Pittsburgh road trips
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