Origin
Ambler, PA
Morning in Ambler on Tuesday
Local time
11:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ambler, PA to Allentown, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
43.9 mi
71 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ambler, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Allentown, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from Ambler to Allentown, expect a straightforward journey covering approximately 43.9 miles. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 1 hour and 2 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day outing. Budgeting around $7 for fuel should cover your needs for the one-way transit. Since both locations are situated within the Northeast region of Pennsylvania, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the drive. This route is highly practical for those looking to reach their destination efficiently without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension | 26.5 mi | 28m |
| Morris Road | 7.1 mi | 13m |
| Tilghman Street | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Sumneytown Pike | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Valley Forge Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Butler Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| PA 309 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lehigh Valley Thruway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
— 26.5 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ambler, PA and Allentown, PA.
1
Start on South Ridge Avenue
33 ft
·
7 sec
·
South Ridge Avenue
2
Turn left onto East Butler Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Butler Avenue
3
Turn right onto Morris Road
7.1 mi
·
13 min
·
Morris Road
4
Turn right onto PA 363
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Valley Forge Road
5
Turn left onto Sumneytown Pike
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Sumneytown Pike
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 476, PATP
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 476 North: Allentown
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Merge onto I 476; PATP
27 mi
·
28 min
·
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
2 min
Exit 56
Toward I 78, US 22, PA 309: Allentown, Harrisburg
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward US 22 East: Allentown
11
Merge onto US 22
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Lehigh Valley Thruway
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward PA 309 South: Quakertown
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto PA 309
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
PA 309
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Tilghman Street East
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto Tilghman Street
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Tilghman Street
16
Arrive at destination
Tilghman Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22 miles from Ambler, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 11.3 and 40.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
11.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 476 North: Allentown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 476 North: Allentown
5
11.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 476; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
Merge onto I 476; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
38 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward I 78, US 22, PA 309: Allentown, Harrisburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 56
Toward I 78, US 22, PA 309: Allentown, Harrisbu...
6
39.2 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Take the exit toward PA 309 South: Quakertown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward PA 309 South: Quakertown
6
40.1 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward Tilghman Street East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward Tilghman Street East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.28 one way
$14.56 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.97 | $15.94 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.51 | $17.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.69 | $19.39 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.45
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(26.5 mi)
$3.45
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$3
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.61 | $2.11 |
| Efficient EV | 11 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.15 | $2.81 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Allentown, PA
Morning in Allentown on Tuesday
Local time
11:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 5 mph
5% chance
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
13 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 2m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is a highway-focused drive, with 62% of your time spent on major routes. You will start by navigating local connections like Morris Road before transitioning to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, which provides the longest uninterrupted stretch of 26.5 miles. Eventually, you will exit onto Tilghman Street to reach your final destination. Because the majority of the journey is spent on the turnpike, you should prepare for a consistent, fast-paced driving experience. The character of the road shifts from local pavement to high-speed interstate transit, offering a predictable rhythm for the duration of your hour on the road.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.5 mi on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and Morris Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.9 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles (I 476; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 38 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
705 ft
217 ft
Total Climb
629 ft
Total Descent
500 ft
Highest Point
705 ft
~28.3 mi in
Elevation Range
488 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Ambler, PA and Allentown, PA, road signs point toward Patp, Harrisburg and Tilghman Street East.
Patp
10.9 mi in
|
~21m
Harrisburg
38 mi in
|
~51m
Tilghman Street East
40.1 mi in
|
~56m
About the Cities
Starting in Ambler, PA
Full guide →Founded 1859
Arriving in Allentown, PA
Full guide →Allentown is the largest city in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, the county seat and largest city in Lehigh County, and the third-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with a population of 125,845 as of 2020.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 43.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.5 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $3.45 in tolls one way, starting with Pennsylvania Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Allentown, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 11.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles (I 476; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 38 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Valley Forge National Historical Park, Independence National Historical Park and Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial (4 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Allentown, PA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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