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Trip from Charleroi, PA to Pittsburgh, PA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

27.4 mi

44 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Charleroi, PA

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Pittsburgh, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Charleroi, PA to Pittsburgh, PA is 27.4 miles and takes about 49m via Mon/Fayette Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania and the Northeast region, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a fairly local feel for much of the journey, making it a good option for a quick excursion or a convenient way to reach your destination without committing to a full day of travel. It’s a practical choice for getting between these two points with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Mon/Fayette Expressway 8 mi 8m
Brownsville Road Extension 3.9 mi 7m
Brownsville Road 2.6 mi 4m
Saw Mill Run Boulevard 2.6 mi 5m
McChain Road 1.8 mi 4m
Provost Road 1.3 mi 3m
Pennsylvania Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
Liberty Tunnels 1.2 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Mon/Fayette Expressway — 8 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Charleroi, PA and Pittsburgh, PA.

1

Start on PA 88

407 ft · 21 sec · Fallowfield Avenue
2

Turn left onto 4th Street

269 ft · 19 sec · 4th Street
3

Turn left onto PA 88

1.0 mi · 1 min · McKean Avenue
4

Continue on PA 88

0.3 mi · 59 sec · Lincoln Avenue
5

Continue on PA 88

1.2 mi · 2 min · Pennsylvania Avenue
6

Continue on PA 88

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Country Club Road
7

Turn left onto Coyle Curtin Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Coyle Curtin Road
8

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
9

Merge onto PA Tpke 43

8.0 mi · 8 min · Mon/Fayette Expressway
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 59 sec
Exit 48 Toward West Elizabeth, Finleyville
11

Turn left onto Finleyville Elrama Road

0.5 mi · 51 sec · Finleyville Elrama Road
12

Turn right onto McChain Road

70 ft · 1 sec · McChain Road
13

Keep slight left at fork onto McChain Road

1.7 mi · 4 min · McChain Road
14

Turn straight onto Brownsville Road Extension

3.9 mi · 7 min · Brownsville Road Extension
15

At end of road, turn left onto Brownsville Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Brownsville Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Turn left onto Brownsville Road

2.1 mi · 3 min · Brownsville Road
Use the left lane.
17

Continue on Provost Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · Provost Road
18

Continue on Provost Road

202 ft · 7 sec · Provost Road
19

Turn left onto PA 51

0.3 mi · 48 sec · Saw Mill Run Boulevard
20

Continue on PA 51; Blue Belt

2.3 mi · 5 min · Saw Mill Run Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
21

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 15 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22

Continue on this road

361 ft · 12 sec · this road
23

Turn right onto Liberty Tunnels

1.2 mi · 2 min · Liberty Tunnels
Use the right lane.
24

Continue on Liberty Bridge

0.5 mi · 59 sec · Liberty Bridge
25

Turn straight onto Crosstown Boulevard

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Crosstown Boulevard
26

Continue on Sixth Avenue

366 ft · 16 sec · Sixth Avenue
27

Turn left onto Fifth Avenue

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Fifth Avenue
28

Turn right onto Grant Street

513 ft · 21 sec · Grant Street
Use the right lane.
29

Arrive at destination

Grant Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 27.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | 4th Street

Turn left onto 4th Street

Navigation decision point

6
12.1 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward West Elizabeth, Finleyville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 48 Toward West Elizabeth, Finleyville
6
18.6 mi into trip | ~30m in | Brownsville Road

At end of road, turn left onto Brownsville Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
19.2 mi into trip | ~32m in | Brownsville Road

Turn left onto Brownsville Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
27.3 mi into trip | ~49m in | Grant Street

Turn right onto Grant Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.54 one way

$9.09 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.98 $9.95
premium $4.93 $5.31 $10.63
diesel $5.61 $6.05 $12.10

Estimated Tolls: $0.56

Mon/Fayette Expressway (8 mi) $0.56

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.2 0 $2.88 $1.32
Efficient EV 6.9 0 $2.40 $1.10
EV Truck/SUV 11 0 $3.84 $1.75

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Charleroi, PA

Late night in Charleroi on Sunday

Local time

4:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Pittsburgh, PA

Late night in Pittsburgh on Sunday

Local time

4:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

49m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with 29% of the route on highways. You'll experience a mix of road types, including the Mon/Fayette Expressway, Brownsville Road Extension, and Brownsville Road. The longest stretch without a turn is about 8 miles on the Mon/Fayette Expressway, offering a brief period of more consistent speed. Beyond that, anticipate navigating more local roads, which means you'll be adjusting your speed and direction frequently.

Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on Mon/Fayette Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 4th Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 27.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.6 miles (Brownsville Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Charleroi, PA and Pittsburgh, PA, road signs point toward Elizabeth and Finleyville.

Elizabeth

12.1 mi in | ~17m

Finleyville

12.1 mi in | ~17m

About the Cities

Arriving in Pittsburgh, PA

Full guide →

The pleasure of Pittsburgh remains a well-kept secret. Though not built up by reputation, the city's unique combination of bridges, steep hills, and broad rivers make it one of the most naturally scenic cities in the country. Cheap food and beer abound in this true sports town and the locals are amazingly friendly. A city of about 303,000 (2021) in Allegheny County, at the center of a metro area of about 2.4 million in southwestern Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is situated at the confluence of three rivers: the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, which meet to form the Ohio River. The city's unique terrain has resulted in an unusual city design and a hodge-podge of unique neighborhood "pockets" with diverse ethnic and architectural heritage.

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 49m. Total distance: 27.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8 miles on Mon/Fayette Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.56 in tolls one way, starting with Mon/Fayette Expressway. 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 Pittsburgh, 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 0.1 miles (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.6 miles (Brownsville Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Fort Necessity National Battlefield. 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 Pittsburgh, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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