Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
18.2 mi
29 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Center City, PA
Samyantak Mohanty
Croydon, PA to Center City, PA is 18.2 miles and takes about 28 minutes via Delaware Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, mostly highway trip connecting two points within Pennsylvania's Northeast region. Given its short distance and quick travel time, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing ample time for activities at your destination. You'll find the drive efficient, making it perfect for a quick commute or a brief escape.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware Expressway | 13.7 mi | 18m |
| State Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Callowhill Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Street Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North 12th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Ludlow Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~5,144 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~511 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 94 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Croydon, PA and Center City, PA.
Start on State Road
Turn right onto Street Road
Turn left
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto Callowhill Street
Turn left onto North 12th Street
Turn left onto Ludlow Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 16.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Street Road
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left toward I 95 South: Central Philadelphia
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 95 / Delaware Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 676, US 30: Central Philadelphia, Independence Hall, Callowhill Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 676 East, US 30 East: Ben Franklin Bridge, Independence Hall, Callowhill Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$3.04 one way
$6.08 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $3.35 | $6.69 |
| premium | $5.01 | $3.59 | $7.18 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $4.01 | $8.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.91 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Croydon on Friday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Night in Center City on Friday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Isolated Rain Showers
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is primarily highway, with 76% of the 18.2 miles on the Delaware Expressway. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 13.7 miles on this expressway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect a high volume of exits as you approach Center City, indicating a transition from highway cruising to urban navigation.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Delaware Expressway and State Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near Street Road.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 18.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (Street Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (I 95 / Delaware Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
95 ft
Total Descent
90 ft
Highest Point
47 ft
~3.9 mi in
Elevation Range
34 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Croydon, PA to Center City, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Independence Hall along the way.
Independence Hall
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 18.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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