Origin
Parkesburg, PA
Evening in Parkesburg on Sunday
Local time
5:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Parkesburg, PA to Philadelphia, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
51.2 mi
82 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Parkesburg, PA
Volker Braun
Philadelphia, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Parkesburg, PA to Philadelphia, PA is 51.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 13 minutes via Schuylkill Expressway and US 202, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface streets as you make your way toward Philadelphia. With its relatively short duration, this is a very manageable drive for a single day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Schuylkill Expressway | 16.4 mi | 23m |
| Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass | 13.9 mi | 18m |
| US 202 | 9.5 mi | 12m |
| Exton Bypass | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Octorara Trail | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Vine Street Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Church Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North 15th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Schuylkill Expressway
— 16.4 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Parkesburg, PA and Philadelphia, PA.
1
Start on PA 372
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
West 1st Avenue
2
Turn left onto PA 10
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Church Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on PA 10
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Octorara Trail
4
Turn right onto US 30
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the right lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 30
14 mi
·
18 min
·
Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 30
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Exton Bypass
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Toward US 202 North: King of Prussia
8
Merge onto US 202
9.5 mi
·
12 min
·
US 202
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
Toward I 76 East: Philadelphia, Devon Park Drive
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
1.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 76 East: Philadelphia
11
Merge onto I 76
16 mi
·
23 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
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.6 miles from Parkesburg, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 50.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 30 / Lincoln Highway
Turn right onto US 30 / Lincoln Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 30 / Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass
Keep slight right at fork onto US 30 / Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
31.8 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward I 76 East: Philadelphia, Devon Park Drive
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 I 76 East: Philadelphia, Devon Park Driv...
8
49.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m 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...
9
50.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m 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
$8.24 one way
$16.47 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $9.27 | $18.54 |
| premium | $4.95 | $9.99 | $19.97 |
| diesel | $5.98 | $12.05 | $24.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.38 | $2.46 |
| Efficient EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.48 | $2.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.5 | 0 | $7.17 | $3.28 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Philadelphia, PA
Evening in Philadelphia on Sunday
Local time
5:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Rain
E 10 to 15 mph
96% chance
Live forecast
59°F
Berwyn, PA
26 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
4 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
1h 13m 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?
You'll be on highway for about 52% of this 51.2-mile drive. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 16.4 miles along the Schuylkill Expressway. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface roads after this segment. The frequent exits on the Schuylkill Expressway indicate a busy corridor as you approach the city.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.4 mi on Schuylkill Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near US 30 / Lincoln Highway.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.2 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles (US 30 / Lincoln Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (US 30 / Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Parkesburg, PA
Full guide →Founded 1872
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 1h 13m. Total distance: 51.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.4 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 2.4 miles (US 30 / Lincoln Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (US 30 / Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Independence National Historical Park, Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial and Valley Forge 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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