Drive or Fly: Upper Darby, PA to Coaldale, PA?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for PHL–SCE. At 218 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 42m

Distance

218.7 mi

Total Cost

$89

CO2

88 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$54

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 56m

20m in the air

Air Distance

167 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

43 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Upper Darby, PA → PHL 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SCE → Coaldale, PA 26m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Upper Darby, PA PHL — Philadelphia International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

Coaldale, PA SCE — State College Regional Airport 17 mi, ~26m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PHL and SCE. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 48m

4h 8m on rail

Total Cost

$34

CO2

13 kg

Route

Pennsylvanian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Upper Darby, PA → Philadelphia (PHL) 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 248m

Arrival 10m

Tyrone Amtrak (TYR) → Coaldale, PA 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $34) $34

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From PHL — Philadelphia 0 mi, ~30m drive

To TYR — Tyrone Amtrak 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 35m on road

Total Cost

$17

CO2

13 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Upper Darby, PA → Philadelphia Bus Station (PHL6) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 275m

Arrival 10m

State College Regional Airport (SCA6) → Coaldale, PA 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From PHL6 — Philadelphia Bus Station 0 mi, ~30m drive

To SCA6 — State College Regional Airport 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~9/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 9 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	4h 42m	2h 56m	5h 48m	6h
Total cost (1 person)	$89	$182	$34	$17
Carbon footprint	88 kg CO₂	43 kg CO₂	13 kg CO₂	13 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Oct 21, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

218.7 mi 4h 41m

via I 76; PATP, US 322, US 22; US 322

Alternative (+3 min)

242.4 mi 4h 45m

via I 80, I 476; PATP, I 476

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Upper Darby, PA to Coaldale, PA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.