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Trip from Bethlehem, PA to Upper Darby, PA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 29m

Distance

58.8 mi

95 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 23m ★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Lehigh and Northampton counties, Pennsylvania, USA

Bethlehem, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 58.8-mile drive from Bethlehem, PA, to Upper Darby, PA, is a manageable one-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 77% of the journey on faster roads, making it an efficient way to travel between these two Northeast Pennsylvania locations. With an estimated fuel cost of just $10, this trip is quite budget-friendly. There are no designated stops in the data, so you can plan your breaks as needed. It's a straightforward journey designed for getting you to your destination with minimal fuss.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 58.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 58.8-mile journey, with 77% of the route utilizing faster roads. The primary arteries guiding you are the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and the Mid-County Expressway, along with a section of PA-378. You'll encounter one significant uninterrupted stretch of 24.3 miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension. The driving character is consistent, prioritizing direct travel over varied scenery.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension is the longest continuous segment at about 24.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and Mid-County Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Center Street.

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 58.8 miles you will encounter 17 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 0.8 miles (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (West 4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 17 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 17 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.8 mi into trip | ~1m in | Center Street

Turn left onto Center Street

Navigation decision point

5
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | West 4th Street

Turn right onto West 4th Street

Navigation decision point

7
17 mi into trip | ~31m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 476 South: Philadelphia

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I 476 South: Philadelphia
7
41.5 mi into trip | ~59m in | I 476; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension

Keep slight left at fork onto I 476; PATP / Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
8
52.6 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in

Take the exit toward PA 3: Upper Darby, Broomall

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 9 Toward PA 3: Upper Darby, Broomall

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Bethlehem, PA and Upper Darby, PA, road signs point toward Patp and Broomall.

Patp

16.6 mi in | ~30m

Broomall

52.6 mi in | ~1h 14m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension 24.3 mi 26m
Mid-County Expressway 10.8 mi 14m
PA-378 5.1 mi 8m
PA 309 5.1 mi 8m
Lansdowne Avenue 3 mi 8m
John Fries Highway 2.6 mi 3m
West Chester Pike 2.5 mi 5m
Portzer Road 0.8 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension — 24.3 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bethlehem, PA and Upper Darby, PA.

1

Start on Linden Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Linden Street
2

Turn right onto East Church Street

0.3 mi · 44 sec · East Church Street
3

Turn left onto Center Street

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Center Street
4

Turn left onto Fahy Bridge

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Fahy Bridge
5

Continue on South New Street

0.1 mi · 19 sec · South New Street
6

Turn right onto West 4th Street

0.2 mi · 37 sec · West 4th Street
7

Turn slight left onto PA 412

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Broadway
8

Turn left onto PA 378

0.6 mi · 1 min · Wyandotte Street
9

Continue on PA 378

0.5 mi · 1 min · PA-378
10

Continue on PA 378

4.6 mi · 7 min · PA-378
Use the left lane.
11

Turn left onto PA 309

5.1 mi · 8 min · PA 309
12

Turn right onto West Pumping Station Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · West Pumping Station Road
13

Turn left onto Portzer Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Portzer Road
14

Continue on Portzer Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Portzer Road
15

Turn right onto PA 663

2.6 mi · 3 min · John Fries Highway
16

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward PATP
17

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward I 476 South: Philadelphia Use the straight / slight left lanes.
18

Merge onto I 476; PATP

24 mi · 25 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Continue on I 476; PATP

0.3 mi · 23 sec · Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
Exit 20
20

Keep slight left at fork onto I 476; PATP

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
Use the slight left lane.
21

Continue on I 476

11 mi · 14 min · Mid-County Expressway
22

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 59 sec
Exit 9 Toward PA 3: Upper Darby, Broomall Use the slight right lane.
23

Turn left onto PA 3

2.5 mi · 5 min · West Chester Pike
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
24

Turn slight right onto Darby Road

471 ft · 13 sec · Darby Road
Use the right lane.
25

Continue on Lansdowne Avenue

3.0 mi · 8 min · Lansdowne Avenue
Use the straight lane.
26

Turn right onto West Providence Road

0.3 mi · 39 sec · West Providence Road
27

Arrive at destination

West Providence Road

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 29.4 mi from Bethlehem, PA · 45m into the drive

Downtown Harleysville, PA, PA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Harleysville, PA

29 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

Perkasie, PA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Harleysville, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.4 miles from Bethlehem, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Upper Darby, PA

The final approach into Upper Darby, PA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.75 one way

$19.50 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $10.68 $21.35
premium $4.93 $11.40 $22.81
diesel $5.61 $12.98 $25.96

Estimated Tolls: $3.17

Pennsylvania Turnpike (24.3 mi) $3.17

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Tolls

$3

Total

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.6 0 $6.17 $2.82
Efficient EV 14.7 0 $5.15 $2.35
EV Truck/SUV 23.5 0 $8.23 $3.76

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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 15, 2026

Origin

Bethlehem, PA

Late night in Bethlehem on Friday

Local time

5:24 AM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Upper Darby, PA

Late night in Upper Darby on Friday

Local time

5:24 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

8 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 29m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Bethlehem, PA to Upper Darby, PA covers 58.8 miles and takes about 1h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, Mid-County Expressway, PA-378. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 29.4 miles from Bethlehem, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.75 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.8 miles you will encounter 17 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (West 4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 17 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Between Bethlehem, PA and Upper Darby, PA, road signs point toward Patp and Broomall.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Valley Forge National Historical Park, Independence National Historical Park and Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.

How this page is built

Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Upper Darby, PA to Bethlehem, PA

Plan the drive back the other way.

276.4 mi 5h 19m

Explore more options from Bethlehem, PA or browse trips ending in Upper Darby, PA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.