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Trip from North Cornwall, PA to Reading, PA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

54m

Distance

39.7 mi

64 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m

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

Downtown North Cornwall, PA, PA

North Cornwall, PA

Howard Senton

Downtown Reading, PA, PA

Reading, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

North Cornwall, PA to Reading, PA is 39.7 miles and takes about 54 minutes via Pennsylvania Turnpike and US 222, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, making it a convenient option for those in Pennsylvania. The route is primarily highway, offering a straightforward connection between these two points. Given its short duration and minimal stops, this drive is ideal for a quick transfer or a brief excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Pennsylvania Turnpike 19.8 mi 21m
US 222 7.4 mi 9m
US 222 BUS 4.9 mi 8m
Quentin Road 4.1 mi 5m
Colonel Howard Boulevard 0.7 mi 1m
North Cornwall Road 0.7 mi 2m
South 5th Street 0.4 mi <1m
Furnace Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Pennsylvania Turnpike — 19.8 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between North Cornwall, PA and Reading, PA.

1

Start on Park Street

64 ft · 7 sec · Park Street
2

Turn left onto Karinch Street

520 ft · 26 sec · Karinch Street
3

Turn right onto Furnace Street

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Furnace Street
4

Turn slight right onto North Cornwall Road

0.7 mi · 2 min · North Cornwall Road
5

Turn left onto PA 72

4.1 mi · 5 min · Quentin Road
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Toward PATP
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 76 Toll East: Valley Forge
8

Merge onto I 76; PATP

20 mi · 21 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Toward US 222: Reading, Ephrata Use the slight right lane.
10

Continue on Colonel Howard Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · Colonel Howard Boulevard
11

Keep slight left at fork onto Colonel Howard Boulevard

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Colonel Howard Boulevard
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward US 222 North: Reading
13

Merge onto US 222

3.3 mi · 3 min · US 222
14

Continue on US 222

4.1 mi · 5 min · US 222
15

Take the exit onto US 222 BUS

4.9 mi · 8 min · US 222 BUS
Toward US 222 Business: Lancaster Avenue, Shillington Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn left onto US 222 BUS

0.4 mi · 47 sec · South 5th Street
Use the left lane.
17

Turn right onto US 422 Business

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Franklin Street
18

Turn left onto South 6th Street

0.1 mi · 24 sec · South 6th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
19

Turn left onto US 422 Business Alternate

278 ft · 4 sec · Penn Street
20

Arrive at destination

US 422 Business Alternate

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

borough in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Denver, PA

20 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Kenhorst, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Denver, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.8 miles from North Cornwall, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 5.2 and 39.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
5.2 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 76 Toll East: Valley Forge

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 76 Toll East: Valley Forge
7
25.5 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward US 222: Reading, Ephrata

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward US 222: Reading, Ephrata
6
26.4 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight right at fork toward US 222 North: Reading

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward US 222 North: Reading
7
34.1 mi into trip | ~44m in | US 222 BUS

Take the exit onto US 222 BUS toward US 222 Business: Lancaster Avenue, Shillington

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward US 222 Business: Lancaster Avenue, Shill...
6
39.5 mi into trip | ~54m in | South 6th Street

Turn left onto South 6th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.63 one way

$13.27 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $7.30 $14.60
premium $5.01 $7.83 $15.67
diesel $5.60 $8.75 $17.50

Estimated Tolls: $2.58

Pennsylvania Turnpike (19.8 mi) $2.58

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$3

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.9 0 $4.17 $1.91
Efficient EV 9.9 0 $3.47 $1.59
EV Truck/SUV 15.9 0 $5.56 $2.54

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 Sep 4, 2026

Origin

North Cornwall, PA

Night in North Cornwall on Friday

Local time

10:49 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Reading, PA

Night in Reading on Friday

Local time

10:49 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Denver, PA

20 mi in

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

54m 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 drive is mostly highway, with 81% of the 39.7 miles on high-speed roads like the Pennsylvania Turnpike and US 222. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 19.8 miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike before transitioning to other major routes. Expect a consistent cruising experience for the majority of your travel time. The final portion will likely involve navigating more local traffic as you approach Reading.

81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.8 mi on Pennsylvania Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and US 222. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.2 miles in.

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 15 decision points packed into just 39.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 25.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

736 ft 253 ft

Total Climb

429 ft

Total Descent

734 ft

Highest Point

736 ft

~3 mi in

Elevation Range

484 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between North Cornwall, PA and Reading, PA, road signs point toward Patp, Ephrata and Shillington.

Patp

5 mi in | ~9m

Ephrata

25.5 mi in | ~32m

Shillington

34.1 mi in | ~44m | via US 222 BUS

About the Cities

Starting in North Cornwall, PA

Full guide →

Arriving in Reading, PA

Full guide →

Founded 1748

Reading is a historic city of about 95,000 (2020 Census) in Pennsylvania, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, 35 miles southwest of Allentown and 55 miles east of Harrisburg. It punches above its weight in culture, and its downtown features some iconic buildings, so consider making it a stopover on your way between any of these and other area cities.

Top landmarks

  • Frederick Lauer Monument — monument in City Park, Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Skew Arch Bridge

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 54m. Total distance: 39.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19.8 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.58 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.

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 Reading, 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 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 25.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Yes — Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Valley Forge National Historical Park. 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 Reading, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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