Origin
Harrisburg, PA
Late night in Harrisburg on Friday
Local time
3:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Harrisburg, PA to Dover, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
24.6 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Harrisburg, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Dover, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Harrisburg to Dover is 24.6 miles and takes about 37m via I 83 and Susquehanna Trail, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on major roads, making it an easy option for a quick local excursion or connecting to other regional travel. Consider this route if you're looking for a simple, efficient way to get between these two Pennsylvania towns without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 83 | 14.2 mi | 17m |
| East Canal Road | 5.2 mi | 9m |
| Susquehanna Trail | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Walnut Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North 7th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Front Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Canal Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Fisher Plaza | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 83
— 14.2 mi, about 17m
Traffic on I-83
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 20 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,923 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~248 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 96 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Harrisburg, PA and Dover, PA.
1
Start on North 7th Street
89 ft
·
3 sec
·
North 7th Street
2
Enter roundabout onto North 7th Street
209 ft
·
7 sec
·
North 7th Street
3
Continue on North 7th Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North 7th Street
4
Continue on Fisher Plaza
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Fisher Plaza
5
Keep slight right at fork onto Walnut Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Walnut Street
6
At end of road, turn left onto North Front Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Front Street
7
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
this road
Toward I 83: York
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 83 South: York
Use the straight lane.
9
Merge onto I 83
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
I 83
Use the straight lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 83
13 mi
·
16 min
·
I 83
Toward I 83 South: York, Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward PA 297: Strinestown, Zions View
12
Turn right onto PA 297
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Susquehanna Trail
13
Turn right onto PA 921
5.2 mi
·
9 min
·
East Canal Road
14
Continue on PA 921
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Canal Street
15
Arrive at destination
PA 921
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 3.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North 7th Street
Enter roundabout onto North 7th Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
North Front Street
At end of road, turn left onto North Front Street
Navigation decision point
7
1.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 83 South: York
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 83 South: York
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 83
Merge onto I 83
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
3.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 83
Keep slight right at fork onto I 83 toward I 83 South: York, Baltimore
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 83 South: York, Baltimore
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.11 one way
$8.22 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $4.52 | $9.05 |
| premium | $5.01 | $4.85 | $9.71 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.42 | $10.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.44 | $1.57 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Dover, PA
Late night in Dover on Friday
Local time
3:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°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
21 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m 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 24.6-mile drive features a mix of highway and surface roads, with 58% of it spent on major highways. You'll experience a stretch of 14.2 miles on I 83, which is the longest continuous highway segment. Expect the transition from the interstate to surface roads like East Canal Road and Susquehanna Trail to involve a change in traffic density and speed.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.2 mi on I 83.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North 7th Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 24.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North 7th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.2 miles (North Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
679 ft
309 ft
Total Climb
581 ft
Total Descent
464 ft
Highest Point
679 ft
~7 mi in
Elevation Range
370 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 Harrisburg, PA and Dover, PA, road signs point toward Baltimore and Zions View.
Baltimore
3.3 mi in
|
~7m
|
via I 83
Zions View
16.5 mi in
|
~23m
About the Cities
Starting in Harrisburg, PA
Full guide →Founded 1719
Harrisburg is the capital and 4th-largest metropolitan area of Pennsylvania, with a metro population of 592,000 people in 2020. Harrisburg is known as the host city of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest free indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, the largest annual outdoor sports show in North America, an auto show, which features a large static display of new and classic cars, and Motorama, a two-day event consisting of a car show, motocross racing, and remote control car racing.
Top landmarks
- • Pennsylvania State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
- • Cathedral of Saint Patrick — cathedral of the Catholic Church in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United St...
- • Harrisburg Transportation Center — intermodal station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Arriving in Dover, PA
Full guide →Founded 1764
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 37m. Total distance: 24.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.2 miles on I 83. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Dover, 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: near the start (North 7th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.2 miles (North Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dover, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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