Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 1m
Distance
94.4 mi
152 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Media, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Media, PA to Harrisburg, PA is 94.4 miles and takes about 2h 1m via Pennsylvania Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $16 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region and the state of Pennsylvania, making it a straightforward local drive. With 79% of the route on highways, you'll experience a mostly efficient transit between these two points. It’s a good option if you're looking for a relatively quick trip without extensive planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
47.2 miles from Media, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 5m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Turnpike | 64.5 mi | 1h 9m |
| PA 100 | 7.5 mi | 11m |
| North Middletown Road | 5.8 mi | 9m |
| West Chester Pike | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| I 283 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Baltimore Pike | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Chester Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Chester Bypass | 1.2 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Media, PA and Harrisburg, PA.
Start on South Monroe Street
Turn right onto East Baltimore Avenue
Continue on Baltimore Pike
Take the exit
Turn right onto PA 352
Continue on PA 352
Turn left onto PA 3; PA 352
Take the exit
Merge onto US 202; US 322
Take the exit onto PA 100
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 76; PATP
Take the exit
Continue on I 283
Keep slight left at fork
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto South 17th Street
Turn left onto Derry Street
Turn right onto South 13th Street
Turn left onto State Street
Continue on Fisher Plaza
Keep slight right at fork onto North 7th Street
Arrive at destination
Given the 2-hour drive time, leaving in the morning or early afternoon should allow you to reach Harrisburg with plenty of daylight remaining. Since the drive is under 100 miles and mostly highway, you likely won't need to make many stops, but it’s always wise to take a break if you feel tired. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially before heading out, as the estimated cost is $16. A good tip for this route is to be aware of the transition off the Pennsylvania Turnpike; knowing when you'll be leaving the highway can help you prepare for potential changes in traffic or speed.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 21 miles or 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 47.2 miles or 1h 5m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 37m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Harrisburg, PA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Media, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Media, PA
This is one driving day of about 94.4 miles and 2h 1m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
47 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.
A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 47.2 miles from Media, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Pennsylvania Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 64.5 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 92.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto East Baltimore Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 322 West, US 202 North: King of Prussia, Downingtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 283, PA 283: Harrisburg, Hershey
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward 17th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$15.65 one way
$31.30 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $17.14 | $34.28 |
| premium | $4.93 | $18.31 | $36.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $20.84 | $41.68 |
Estimated Tolls: $8.39
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Tolls
$8
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$49–$74
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 33 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 28.3 | 0 | $9.91 | $4.53 |
| Efficient EV | 23.6 | 0 | $8.26 | $3.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 37.8 | 0 | $13.22 | $6.04 |
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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
Morning in Media on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Harrisburg on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Historical Park
Famous as the First State to ratify the Constitution, Delaware was born out of a conflict among three world powers for dominance of the Delaware Valley. From this beginning, the region developed a dis...
National Historical Park
Valley Forge is the place where George Washington and the Continental Army took refuge during the winter of 1777-1778. Today the park protects 3,500 acres of meadows, woodlands, historic landscapes, a...
National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
National Historical Park
The park represents the founding ideals of the nation, and preserves national and international symbols of freedom and democracy, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of I...
National Memorial
Visit the house where wounded Polish freedom fighter Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived and hear how this brilliant military engineer designed successful fortifications during the American Revolution. See the...
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This route features a high highway share, with 79% of the 94.4 miles on highways. You'll spend the longest stretch, 64.5 miles, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface roads around mile 64.5. The prevalence of highway driving suggests a relatively consistent speed with a moderate number of exits.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and PA 100. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Baltimore Avenue.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 94.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Baltimore Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 86.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Media, PA and Harrisburg, PA, road signs point toward Downingtown, Patp and Hershey.
Downingtown
Patp
Hershey
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 1m. Total distance: 94.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Media, PA or browse trips ending in Harrisburg, PA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.
