Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
29.7 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pleasant Hill, PA
Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare
Reading, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Pleasant Hill to Reading is 29.7 miles and takes about 55m via West Penn Avenue, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its brief duration, it's ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing ample time for exploration at your destination. You'll primarily navigate local roads, making it a straightforward drive for anyone looking to connect these two communities without extensive highway time.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Penn Avenue | 10.5 mi | 19m |
| Conrad Weiser Parkway | 5 mi | 7m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| East Cumberland Street | 3 mi | 5m |
| Penn Avenue | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Walnut Street | 2.6 mi | 7m |
| Franklin Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South 2nd Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Pleasant Hill, PA and Reading, PA.
Start on South 18th Street
Turn left onto Walnut Street
Take the exit onto US 422
Continue on US 422
Continue on US 422
Continue on US 422
Continue on US 422 BUS
Continue on US 422 BUS
Turn right onto US 422 Business
Turn left onto US 422 Business
Turn left onto South 6th Street
Turn left onto US 422 Business Alternate
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 29.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
Take the exit onto US 422 / East Cumberland Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Turn left onto US 422 Business / Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto South 6th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 422 Business Alternate / Penn Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$4.85 one way
$9.69 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.56 | $5.33 | $10.66 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.69 | $11.37 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $6.32 | $12.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Pleasant Hill on Sunday
Local time
8:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Reading on Sunday
Local time
8:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
This route is mostly surface roads, with highway driving making up only 17% of the total mileage. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch on West Penn Avenue, covering 10.5 miles. Expect to transition from any highway segments onto local streets relatively early in your drive, which means you'll likely notice more traffic signals and intersections as you approach Reading.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Walnut Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 55m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (US 422 / East Cumberland Street): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 29.1 miles (US 422 Business / Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here.
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (17%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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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