Origin
Union, PA
Afternoon in Union on Sunday
Local time
12:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, PA to Reading, 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 6m
Distance
45.4 mi
73 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, PA
Sebastián Casimiro
Reading, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Union, PA to Reading, PA is 45.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 6 minutes via US 222, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive entirely within Pennsylvania, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its short length and mostly highway profile, it's an easy trip for a single day. You'll find this route practical for getting from point A to point B without much fuss, making it a good option for a quick transfer or a day trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 222 | 22.8 mi | 27m |
| US 222 BUS | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| Lampeter Road | 4.6 mi | 8m |
| Lancaster Pike | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| East Penn Grant Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Willow Street Pike | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| US 30 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Pitney Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 222
— 22.8 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, PA and Reading, PA.
1
Start on Clearfield Road
82 ft
·
5 sec
·
Clearfield Road
2
Turn right onto Rawlinsville Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Rawlinsville Road
3
Turn right onto Miller Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Miller Road
4
At end of road, turn right onto PA 272
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
Lancaster Pike
5
Take the exit
284 ft
·
8 sec
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto PA 272
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lancaster Pike
7
Keep slight right at fork onto PA 272
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
Lancaster Pike
8
Continue on PA 272
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Willow Street Pike
9
Turn right onto East Penn Grant Road
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
East Penn Grant Road
10
Continue on Lampeter Road
4.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Lampeter Road
11
Continue on Pitney Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Pitney Road
12
Turn right onto Hempstead Road
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
Hempstead Road
13
Turn right onto Greenfield Road
396 ft
·
7 sec
·
Greenfield Road
14
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward US 30 West
15
Merge onto US 30
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
US 30
16
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
Toward US 222 North: Reading
17
Continue on US 222
19 mi
·
21 min
·
US 222
18
Continue on US 222
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
US 222
19
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.
20
Turn left onto US 222 BUS
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
South 5th Street
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto US 422 Business
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Franklin Street
22
Turn left onto South 6th Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
South 6th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
23
Turn left onto US 422 Business Alternate
278 ft
·
4 sec
·
Penn Street
24
Arrive at destination
US 422 Business Alternate
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.7 miles from Union, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 45.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
PA 272 / Lancaster Pike
At end of road, turn right onto PA 272 / Lancaster Pike
Navigation decision point
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
39.8 mi into trip
|
~56m 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...
5
44.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
US 222 BUS / South 5th Street
Turn left onto US 222 BUS / South 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
45.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
South 6th Street
Turn left onto South 6th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.41 one way
$14.81 round trip
$4.14/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.56 | $8.15 | $16.29 |
| premium | $4.86 | $8.69 | $17.38 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $9.66 | $19.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.77 | $2.18 |
| Efficient EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.97 | $1.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.36 | $2.91 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Reading, PA
Afternoon in Reading on Sunday
Local time
12:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Rain
E 10 to 15 mph
87% chance
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
6 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 6m 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?
This drive is mostly highway, with 64% of the 45.4 miles on major roads like US 222. You'll experience a longest stretch of 22.8 miles on US 222 before potentially transitioning to surface roads like Lampeter Road and US 222 BUS. Expect a consistent driving experience with a higher proportion of highway miles, which typically means fewer stops and a more direct path. The frequent exits common on US 222 suggest a fairly developed corridor for much of the trip.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.8 mi on US 222.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 222 and US 222 BUS. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near PA 272 / Lancaster Pike.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.4 miles you will encounter 16 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 1.6 miles (PA 272 / Lancaster Pike): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.8 miles (US 222 BUS): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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.
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 Union, PA to Reading, PA, road signs begin pointing toward Shillington along the way.
Shillington
39.8 mi in
|
~56m
|
via US 222 BUS
About the Cities
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 1h 6m. Total distance: 45.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.8 miles on US 222. 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 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 1.6 miles (PA 272 / Lancaster Pike): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.8 miles (US 222 BUS): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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