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Trip from Philadelphia, PA to Chester, 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

27m

Distance

18.5 mi

30 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 26m ★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m

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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largest city in Pennsylvania, United States

Philadelphia, PA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Pennsylvania, United States

Chester, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Philadelphia to Chester, you are in for a quick, 15.2-mile journey that typically takes about 27 minutes. Because this trip is entirely within the Northeast region of Pennsylvania, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will not need to worry about overnight accommodations or heavy travel planning for a distance this short. With a fuel budget estimated at just $2, it is an incredibly economical way to get between these two points. Since there are no designated stops required, you can easily complete the drive in one efficient session without needing to budget extra time for breaks.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Delaware Expressway 15.3 mi 20m
Vine Street Expressway 0.7 mi 1m
Morton Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
North Broad Street 0.3 mi <1m
Chestnut Street 0.2 mi <1m
East 5th Street 0.2 mi <1m
East Penn Square 0.1 mi <1m
South Penn Square <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Delaware Expressway — 15.3 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on South Penn Square

397 ft · 8 sec · South Penn Square
2

Keep slight left at fork onto PA 611

0.1 mi · 19 sec · East Penn Square
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn right onto PA 611

0.3 mi · 37 sec · North Broad Street
Use the right lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward I 676 East, US 30 East
5

Merge onto I 676; US 30

0.3 mi · 25 sec · Vine Street Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto Vine Street Expressway

0.4 mi · 38 sec · Vine Street Expressway
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 South: Chester, Philadelphia International Airport
8

Merge onto I 95

15 mi · 20 min · Delaware Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Exit 6 Toward Providence Avenue, Edgmont Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn left onto Chestnut Street

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Chestnut Street
Use the left / right lanes.
11

At end of road, turn right onto US 13

0.3 mi · 47 sec · Morton Avenue
12

Turn slight right onto East 5th Street

0.2 mi · 51 sec · East 5th Street
13

Arrive at destination

East 5th Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 17.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | PA 611 / East Penn Square

Keep slight left at fork onto PA 611 / East Penn Square

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
6
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | PA 611 / North Broad Street

Turn right onto PA 611 / North Broad Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 676 East, US 30 East

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 676 East, US 30 East
6
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway

Merge onto I 676; US 30 / Vine Street Expressway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.5 mi into trip | ~25m in

Take the exit toward Providence Avenue, Edgmont Avenue

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 6 Toward Providence Avenue, Edgmont Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.07 one way

$6.13 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $3.36 $6.72
premium $4.93 $3.59 $7.18
diesel $5.61 $4.08 $8.17

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.6 0 $1.94 $0.89
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.62 $0.74
EV Truck/SUV 7.4 0 $2.59 $1.18

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026

Origin

Philadelphia, PA

Late night in Philadelphia on Tuesday

Local time

5:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

87°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 0 to 15 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 14 at 3:26PM EDT until April 14 at 4:00PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued April 14 at 2:51PM EDT until April 14 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Destination

Chester, PA

Late night in Chester on Tuesday

Local time

5:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°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

24 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

27m 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 turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel rather than a monotonous interstate grind. This route avoids highways entirely, maintaining a 0% highway share as you navigate via East Penn Square, John F, and North 15th Street. You will find that the longest stretch of road is a brief 0 miles on East Penn Square, meaning you will be making frequent turns throughout the journey. The experience is purely urban and local, demanding your full attention as you transition between city streets. It is a practical, no-frills drive that relies on local navigation rather than high-speed cruising.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.3 mi on Delaware Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Delaware Expressway and Vine Street Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near PA 611 / East Penn Square.

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 10 decision points packed into just 18.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (PA 611 / East Penn Square): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (PA 611 / North Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from Philadelphia, PA to Chester, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Philadelphia International Airport along the way.

Philadelphia International Airport

1.5 mi in | ~2m

About the Cities

Starting 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

Arriving in Chester, PA

Full guide →

Founded 1682

Chester is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Chester is a suburb of the city of Philadelphia. The current population estimate is 30,409. The city is predominantly made up of African Americans, making up 79% of the population. Chester is known for poverty and high crime, as almost 40% of residents live below the poverty line.

Top landmarks

  • • Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company
  • • 1724 Chester Courthouse — historic courthouse in Chester, Pennsylvania
  • • William Penn Landing Site

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 27m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

27m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.3 miles on Delaware 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 Chester, 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 0.1 miles (PA 611 / East Penn Square): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (PA 611 / North Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: 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 Chester, 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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Return Trip

Chester, PA to Philadelphia, PA

Plan the drive back the other way.

15.6 mi 28m

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