Origin
Norristown, PA
Morning in Norristown on Sunday
Local time
10:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Norristown, PA to Philadelphia, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
20.5 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Norristown, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Philadelphia, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Norristown to Philadelphia, you are in for a quick, straightforward journey covering just 20.3 miles. Expect the drive to take about 34 minutes, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting approximately $3 for fuel is more than enough for this short trek within the Northeast region. Since this route is entirely local, you won't need to worry about the logistics of long-distance highway travel. It is a practical, efficient way to connect these two Pennsylvania locations without any planned stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Schuylkill Expressway | 13.9 mi | 19m |
| South Henderson Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East Dekalb Pike | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Gulph Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Vine Street Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Markley Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Saulin Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North 15th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Schuylkill Expressway
— 13.9 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Norristown, PA and Philadelphia, PA.
1
Start on Spring Alley
46 ft
·
3 sec
·
Spring Alley
2
Turn slight right onto Powell Street
303 ft
·
15 sec
·
Powell Street
3
Turn right onto West Elm Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
West Elm Street
4
Turn left onto US 202
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Markley Street
5
Continue on US 202
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Dekalb Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 202
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
West Dekalb Pike
7
Turn left onto Saulin Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Saulin Boulevard
8
Turn left onto South Henderson Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South Henderson Road
9
Turn left onto South Gulph Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Gulph Road
Use the right lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 76 East: Philadelphia
Use the right lane.
11
Merge onto I 76
14 mi
·
19 min
·
Schuylkill Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
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.
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward Central Philadelphia
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
313 ft
·
11 sec
Toward 15th Street, Central Philadelphia
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn right onto North 15th Street
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
North 15th Street
Use the right lane.
16
Turn slight left onto PA 611
379 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Penn Square
17
Keep slight left at fork onto South Penn Square
167 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Penn Square
18
Arrive at destination
South Penn Square
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 3.9 and 20 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
3.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
South Gulph Road
Turn left onto South Gulph Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
4.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the ramp toward I 76 East: Philadelphia
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 76 East: Philadelphia
8
19 mi into trip
|
~30m 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
19.8 mi into trip
|
~31m 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
20 mi into trip
|
~31m 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
$3.40 one way
$6.80 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.72 | $7.44 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.98 | $7.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.53 | $9.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Philadelphia, PA
Morning in Philadelphia on Sunday
Local time
10:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
3 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
32m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel from start to finish. You will primarily navigate via Powell Street, West Elm Street, and Markley Street, as the route consists of 0% highway driving. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the pace remains consistent with surface street traffic. This is not a high-speed interstate cruise, but rather a technical, localized trip that demands your full attention. The road's personality is defined by its frequent turns and city-adjacent navigation rather than open-road cruising.
72% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.9 mi on Schuylkill Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Schuylkill Expressway and South Henderson Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.9 miles in near South Gulph Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 20.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.9 miles (South Gulph Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
219 ft
27 ft
Total Climb
244 ft
Total Descent
356 ft
Highest Point
219 ft
~5.9 mi in
Elevation Range
193 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Norristown, PA
Full guide →Norristown is a small residential borough in Montgomery County, in the Philadelphia-Camden metro area. The town is about 6 miles outside of Philadelphia, between two greater communities of King of Prussia and Plymouth Meeting. This article also covers the nearby communities of Bridgeport, Gladwyne, Jeffersonville, Conshohocken and Lafayette Hill.
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 32m. Total distance: 20.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.9 miles on Schuylkill Expressway. 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 3.9 miles (South Gulph Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19 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. 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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