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Trip from Media, PA to Philadelphia, PA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

31m

Distance

14.8 mi

24 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 29m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States

Media, PA

Wikimedia Commons

largest city in Pennsylvania, United States

Philadelphia, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 14.8-mile drive from Media, PA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 31 minutes and is best suited for a single day. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $2, it’s an economical trip. The route primarily utilizes State Road and Lansdowne Avenue before merging onto the Schuylkill Expressway. Given its short distance and duration, this journey is easily manageable without needing an overnight stay. It's a practical option for getting between these two Northeast region locations within Pennsylvania.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Road 5 mi 10m
Lansdowne Avenue 2.4 mi 5m
Schuylkill Expressway 1.3 mi 2m
West Girard Avenue 1 mi 2m
South State Road 1 mi 2m
Vine Street Expressway 0.8 mi 1m
Media Bypass 0.7 mi <1m
South Monroe Street 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: State Road — 5 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Media, PA and Philadelphia, PA.

1

Start on South Monroe Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Monroe Street
2

Continue on State Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · State Road
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward US 1 North
4

Merge onto US 1

0.7 mi · 59 sec · Media Bypass
Use the straight lane.
5

Continue on US 1

1.8 mi · 3 min · State Road
Use the straight lane.
6

Continue on State Road

2.2 mi · 5 min · State Road
Use the right lane.
7

Continue on South State Road

1.0 mi · 2 min · South State Road
8

Continue on North State Road

0.2 mi · 38 sec · North State Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
9

Continue on Lansdowne Avenue

2.4 mi · 5 min · Lansdowne Avenue
10

Merge onto US 30; US 1 Alternate Truck

0.6 mi · 1 min · Lancaster Avenue
11

Turn left onto US 30; US 1 Alternate Truck

0.3 mi · 42 sec · West Girard Avenue
12

Keep slight right at fork onto US 30; US 1 Alternate Truck

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Girard Avenue
13

Keep slight left at fork onto US 30

0.2 mi · 43 sec · West Girard Avenue
14

Take the exit onto US 30

0.2 mi · 26 sec · US 30
Toward I 76 East, US 30 East: Central Philadelphia
15

Merge onto I 76

1.3 mi · 2 min · Schuylkill Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight left at fork onto I 676; US 30

0.8 mi · 1 min · Vine Street Expressway
Toward I 676 East, US 30 East: Central Philadelphia Use the slight left / straight lanes.
17

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 17 sec
Toward Central Philadelphia Use the slight right lane.
18

Keep slight right at fork

313 ft · 11 sec
Toward 15th Street, Central Philadelphia Use the slight right lane.
19

Turn right onto North 15th Street

0.4 mi · 48 sec · North 15th Street
Use the right lane.
20

Turn slight left onto PA 611

379 ft · 8 sec · South Penn Square
21

Keep slight left at fork onto South Penn Square

167 ft · 2 sec · South Penn Square
22

Arrive at destination

South Penn Square

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 14.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1.8 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 1 / Media Bypass

Merge onto US 1 / Media Bypass

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
11.8 mi into trip | ~26m in | US 30

Take the exit onto US 30 toward I 76 East, US 30 East: Central Philadelphia

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

Toward I 76 East, US 30 East: Central Philadelp...
8
13.4 mi into trip | ~28m in | I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway toward I 676 East, US 30 East: Central Philadelphia

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Toward I 676 East, US 30 East: Central Philadel...
6
14.1 mi into trip | ~29m in

Take the exit toward Central Philadelphia

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward Central Philadelphia
9
14.3 mi into trip | ~30m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 15th Street, Central Philadelphia

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward 15th Street, Central Philadelphia

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.45 one way

$4.91 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $2.69 $5.37
premium $4.93 $2.87 $5.74
diesel $5.61 $3.27 $6.54

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.4 0 $1.55 $0.71
Efficient EV 3.7 0 $1.30 $0.59
EV Truck/SUV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.95

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Media, PA

Late night in Media on Tuesday

Local time

5:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

72°F

Partly Sunny

SE 5 to 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 3:15PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 18 at 1:29PM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Destination

Philadelphia, PA

Late night in Philadelphia on Tuesday

Local time

5:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°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

8 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

31m 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?

Expect a route with a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you'll navigate a series of intersections and changes in direction. Only about 16% of this trip is on the highway, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 5 miles on State Road. The majority of the drive will feel like a local commute, winding through neighborhoods and connecting streets before eventually reaching the faster-paced Schuylkill Expressway for a portion of the journey.

Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on State Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 1.8 miles in near US 1 / Media Bypass.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 14.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (US 1 / Media Bypass): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles (US 30): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles (I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

About the Cities

Arriving in Philadelphia, PA

Full guide →

“City of Brotherly Love” · Founded 1682

Top landmarks

  • • Independence Hall — historic building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  • • Liberty Bell — bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA that serves as a symbol of American inde...
  • • Philadelphia Museum of Art — art museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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 31m. Total distance: 14.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

31m 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 5 miles on State Road. 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 Philadelphia, 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 1.8 miles (US 1 / Media Bypass): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles (US 30): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles (I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Independence National Historical Park, Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial and First State National Historical Park (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 Philadelphia, 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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