Origin
Reading, PA
Late night in Reading on Tuesday
Local time
4:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Reading, PA to Bethlehem, PA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 4m
Distance
41.3 mi
66 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bethlehem, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip between Reading and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, you are looking at a manageable 41.3-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 4 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as the short duration makes an overnight stay unnecessary. You will primarily navigate via US 222, Allentown Pike, and the Trexlertown Bypass, keeping your fuel costs to a modest $7. Because both cities are located within the Northeast region, the transition between them is seamless and familiar. This drive functions best as a straightforward commute or a quick getaway, offering a practical way to connect these two Pennsylvania hubs without the need for extensive travel planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 222 | 8.7 mi | 11m |
| Allentown Pike | 6 mi | 10m |
| Trexlertown Bypass | 5.7 mi | 8m |
| North 5th Street | 5 mi | 8m |
| Hamilton Street | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| Kutztown Road | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Hamilton Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| West Broad Street | 2.4 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
US 222
— 8.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Reading, PA and Bethlehem, PA.
1
Start on US 422 Business Alternate
279 ft
·
8 sec
·
Penn Street
2
Turn right onto US 222 BUS
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North 5th Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on US 222 BUS
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Allentown Pike
4
Merge onto US 222
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Kutztown Road
5
Continue on US 222
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Allentown Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Enter roundabout onto US 222
160 ft
·
6 sec
·
Allentown Pike
7
Continue on US 222
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Allentown Pike
8
Enter roundabout onto US 222
123 ft
·
5 sec
·
Allentown Pike
9
Continue on US 222
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Allentown Pike
10
Continue on US 222
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Kutztown Road
11
Continue on US 222
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Allentown Pike
12
Enter roundabout onto US 222
138 ft
·
1 sec
·
Kutztown Road
13
Continue on US 222
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Kutztown Road
14
Keep slight left at fork onto US 222
8.7 mi
·
11 min
·
US 222
15
Enter roundabout onto US 222
159 ft
·
2 sec
·
Hamilton Boulevard
16
Continue on US 222
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Hamilton Boulevard
17
Turn straight onto US 222
5.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Trexlertown Bypass
Toward US 222 North, PA 100 North: Fogelsville, Allentown
18
Continue on PA 222
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
West Hamilton Boulevard
19
Continue on PA 222
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Hamilton Street
20
Keep slight right at fork onto Hamilton Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hamilton Street
21
Continue on Hamilton Street
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
Hamilton Street
22
Continue on Hanover Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Hanover Avenue
23
Continue on West Broad Street
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
West Broad Street
24
Turn left onto Center Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Center Street
25
Turn right onto East Goepp Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
East Goepp Street
26
Turn right onto Linden Street
57 ft
·
1 sec
·
Linden Street
27
Arrive at destination
Linden Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.7 miles from Reading, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 41.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 222 BUS / North 5th Street
Turn right onto US 222 BUS / North 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
8.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 222 / Allentown Pike
Enter roundabout onto US 222 / Allentown Pike
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
9.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 222 / Allentown Pike
Enter roundabout onto US 222 / Allentown Pike
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
22.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
US 222 / Hamilton Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto US 222 / Hamilton Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
41.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
|
Linden Street
Turn right onto Linden Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.85 one way
$13.69 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.50 | $15.00 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.01 | $16.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.12 | $18.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
| Efficient EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.78 | $2.64 |
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.
Destination
Bethlehem, PA
Late night in Bethlehem on Tuesday
Local time
4:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
14 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 4m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate slog, as highways only account for roughly 21% of the total distance. You will find yourself maneuvering through local roads frequently, which keeps the experience engaging if you prefer active driving over cruise control. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is an 8.7-mile segment on US 222, providing a brief break from the more frequent turns. As you transition between the bypasses and local pikes, the rhythm of the drive shifts constantly. It is a technical route that requires your attention, making it feel more like a purposeful navigation through the region than a passive highway cruise.
Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.7 mi on US 222.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 222 BUS / North 5th Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 41.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles (US 222 BUS / North 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (US 222 / Allentown Pike): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 9.3 miles (US 222 / Allentown Pike): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Reading, PA to Bethlehem, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Allentown along the way.
Allentown
25.2 mi in
|
~37m
|
via US 222
About the Cities
Starting in Reading, PA
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Bethlehem, PA
Full guide →Bethlehem is one of three cities, along with Allentown and Easton, that are the urban population centers of the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. In the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem borders Nazareth to its northwest, Allentown to its west, Hellertown to its southeast, and Easton to its east. The city is about 70 miles (110 km) north of Philadelphia, the sixth-largest city in the United States, and about 80 miles (130 km) west of New York City, the nation's largest city.
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 4m. Total distance: 41.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (21%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.7 miles on US 222. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (US 222 BUS / North 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (US 222 / Allentown Pike): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 9.3 miles (US 222 / Allentown Pike): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — Appalachian National Scenic Trail. 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 Bethlehem, 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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