Pittsburgh to Orlando road trip: Best stops, time & distance

Planning a Pittsburgh to Orlando road trip itinerary

The Pittsburgh to Orlando drive takes you from western Pennsylvania to Florida’s theme park capital.

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.

Orlando is known worldwide as the home of Disney World, but there’s far more to it than Mickey and Co. You can get crazy selfies at the Museum of Illusions or WonderWorks, learn how chocolate is made at Chocolate Kingdom and ride the Wheel at ICON Park or Orlando StarFlyer. Alternatively, visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, play adventure golf at Pirates’ Cove and say hi to the stingrays at Sea Life.

In the evenings, there’s the Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show, Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn To Life and the Outta Control magic comedy show.

Other Orlando experiences include glow-in-the-dark kayaking, foodie walking tours and kayaking through Cypress forest.

The secret to getting Orlando accommodation deals is flexibility. There are hundreds of hotels, and you’ll likely be driving everywhere anyway. So hunt down the cheapest rates, and don’t get too hung up on exact location.

Pittsburgh to Orlando distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Orlando is 976 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 15 hours and five minutes. The quickest route is via the I-90, I-79, US-19, I-77, I-95 and I-4.

The best stops to add to a Pittsburgh to Orlando road trip itinerary are New River Gorge, Charlotte and Savannah.

For more suggestions, check out the guides to the Pittsburgh to Charlotte drive, Savannah to Jacksonville drive and Jacksonville to Orlando drive

Pittsburgh to Orlando road trip attractions: New River Gorge, West Virginia

Near Beckley WV, the New River has carved the longest and deepest river gorge in the Appalachians. In the surrounding forests of New River Gorge National Park, several hiking trails lead to dramatic gorge views. Meanwhile rock climbers get some serious practice in on the steep walls.

The upper stretch of the river is beloved by white water canoeists, while the Lower Gorge has often ferocious rapids.

It is, therefore, one of the best places in the country to do a whitewater rafting tour. Nearby, you can also try ATV adventures and ziplining.

Pittsburgh to Orlando drive: Charlotte NC

Charlotte is the biggest city in North Carolina. Major attractions include the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the thrill-packed Carowinds amusement park and the Billy Graham Library. Another popular option is the Sea Life aquarium.

For top Charlotte activities, try historical city tours by golf cart, Segway tours through the Uptown neighbourhood and after dark ghost tours.

Well-reviewed and central Charlotte accommodation options include the AC by Marriott and the Hyatt House.

Best stops between Pittsburgh and Orlando: Savannah GA

Savannah has a timewarp handsomeness about it. Parks are lined by mossy oak trees, 19th century buildings ooze history and riverboats glide along the rivers.

Great activities in Savannah include the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tourriverboat cruises and a true crime pub crawl.

The Wheel at ICON Park, Orlando.
The Wheel at ICON Park, Orlando. Photo by 10674425/ Pixabay.

More Pittsburgh road trips

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More Orlando road trips

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