New Kensington, PA to Bensalem, PA is 312.7 miles and takes about 5 hours 48 minutes via the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $57 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region and covers ground entirely within Pennsylvania. The majority of this route is on the Turnpike, making it a straightforward, albeit long, single-day drive. Consider this option if you prioritize efficiency and a direct path between these two points in PA.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
156.4 miles from New Kensington, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 57m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Pennsylvania Turnpike
305.1 mi
5h 31m
Pittsburgh Street
2.2 mi
6m
Freeport Road
1.9 mi
3m
Street Road
1.7 mi
2m
New Kensington Bridge
0.3 mi
<1m
Constitution Boulevard
0.3 mi
<1m
9th Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Knights Road
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Pennsylvania Turnpike
— 305.1 mi, about 5h 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Kensington, PA and Bensalem, PA.
1
Start on Locust Street
25 ft·6 sec·Locust Street
2
Turn left onto Constitution Boulevard
0.3 mi·44 sec·Constitution Boulevard
3
Turn right onto 9th Street
0.2 mi·41 sec·9th Street
4
Continue on New Kensington Bridge
0.3 mi·36 sec·New Kensington Bridge
5
At end of road, turn left onto Freeport Road
1.2 mi·2 min·Freeport Road
6
Continue on Pittsburgh Street
2.2 mi·6 min·Pittsburgh Street
7
Continue on Freeport Road
0.8 mi·1 min·Freeport Road
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·32 sec
Toward PATP
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·24 sec
Toward I 76 East: HarrisburgUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 76; PATP
305 mi·5 hr 31 min·Pennsylvania Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi·54 sec
Exit 352Toward PA 132: Street RoadUse the slight right lane.
12
Turn left onto PA 132
1.7 mi·2 min·Street Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right onto Knights Road
261 ft·8 sec·Knights Road
14
Turn right
135 ft·9 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
To make the most of this drive, aim to depart New Kensington early in the morning, ideally before 7 AM, to bypass rush hour traffic. With a drive time under six hours, it's feasible to complete in one day, but planning one stop around the halfway point for fuel and a break is wise. The primary road is the Pennsylvania Turnpike, so be prepared for toll collection. Given the extensive highway mileage, keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially since the longest stretch without a major exit is over 300 miles.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 156.4 miles from New Kensington, PA, or about 2h 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 305.1 miles.
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 69 miles or 1h 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 156.4 miles or 2h 57m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 45m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bensalem, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving New Kensington, 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 New Kensington, PA
This is one driving day of about 312.7 miles and 5h 48m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 69 miles from New Kensington, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Pennsylvania Turnpike for about 305.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 310.6 — 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|Constitution Boulevard
Turn left onto Constitution Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|9th Street
Turn right onto 9th Street
Navigation decision point
8
5.3 mi into trip|~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 76 East: Harrisburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 76 East: Harrisburg
5
5.4 mi into trip|~12m in|I 76; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike
Merge onto I 76; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
310.6 mi into trip|~5h 44m in
Take the exit toward PA 132: Street Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 352
Toward PA 132: Street Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$49.86 one way
$99.72 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg109 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$55.18
$110.36
premium
$4.81
$59.19
$118.38
diesel
$4.80
$59.04
$118.09
Estimated Tolls: $39.67
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(305.1 mi)$39.67
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
$50
Tolls
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$115–$140
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 109.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
93.8
1
$32.83
$15.01
Efficient EV
78.2
0
$27.36
$12.51
EV Truck/SUV
125.1
1
$43.78
$20.01
Gas CO2
109 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
New Kensington, PA
Morning
in New Kensington on Sunday
Local time
11:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Smoke
NE 2 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 1:40PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Bensalem, PA
Morning
in Bensalem on Sunday
Local time
11:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
90°F
Areas Of Smoke
NW 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 17 at 1:40PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
82°F
Martinsburg, PA
156 mi in
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 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
5h 48m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
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...
1 mi from route
~2 min detour
Free
near mile 183.3
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...
3 mi from route
~8 min detour
Free
near mile 280.4
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their live...
6 mi from route
~16 min detour
Free
near mile 75.5
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...
13 mi from route
~32 min detour
Free
near mile 226.5
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...
14 mi from route
~35 min detour
$1
near mile 291.2
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...
14 mi from route
~35 min detour
Free
near mile 291.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 98% highway, meaning you'll spend nearly all 5 hours and 48 minutes on major roadways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 305.1 miles, all on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. You'll transition from Pittsburgh Street and Freeport Road to the Turnpike early on, and essentially remain on it until the final few miles. Expect a high volume of exits and potential for significant traffic merging as you approach your destination in Bensalem.
98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 305.1 mi on Pennsylvania Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and Pittsburgh Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Constitution Boulevard.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 48m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Constitution Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The longest stretch is about 305.1 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $39.67 in tolls one way, starting with Pennsylvania Turnpike. 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.
Yes — we found about 21 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 21 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Constitution Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Flight 93 National Memorial (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.8 hours each way, a round trip means 11.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Bensalem, PA before the return drive.
