The Laurel Highlands is a region lying in the western foothills of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. Located approximately fifty-five miles east of the city of Pittsburgh, the Laurel Highlands is situated within five southwestern Pennsylvania counties: Fayette, Westmoreland, Cambria, Bedford, and Somerset.
The Laurel Highlands is a popular area for hiking, mountain biking, hunting, trout fishing, wildlife viewing, and downhill skiing.
The primary method of transportation in this area is by automobile. Interstates 70 and 76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike toll road, cross east-west through the region. Moving eastward, they are separate roads until New Stanton, where they merge into one road.
Another major road into the area is U.S. Route 40, "The National Road", which cuts east-west through the southern part of the region through Uniontown, Farmington, and near Ohiopyle. PA 51 connects Pittsburgh directly to Uniontown. Cutting across the northern part of the highlands is U.S. Route 30, "The Lincoln Highway," which passes through Ligonier, Latrobe, and Greensburg before continuing in to Pittsburgh.
As far as north-south routes go, U.S. Route 119 cuts through the western part of the region, heading north from Morgantown, West Virginia and passing through Uniontown, Connellsville, New Stanton, and Greensburg, continuing north to Indiana, PA. U.S. Route 219 cuts through the eastern part of the region, passing through Somerset, continuing north to the Johnstown area.
There is very limited bus service to Fayette and Westmoreland Counties from Pittsburgh, which is primary of use to commuters. Greyhound operates an east-west line through the area which stops at Greensburg and Latrobe. Amtrak operates two lines through the region, both of which connect to Pittsburgh: the Capitol Limited, which stops in Connellsville, and the Pennsylvanian, which stops in Greensburg and Latrobe. Both routes run once daily.