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Trip from Charleroi, PA to Pittsburgh, PA

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

Drive Time

49m

Distance

27.4 mi

44 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

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

borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Charleroi, PA

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Pittsburgh, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Charleroi, PA to Pittsburgh, PA is 27.4 miles and takes about 49m via Mon/Fayette Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania and the Northeast region, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a fairly local feel for much of the journey, making it a good option for a quick excursion or a convenient way to reach your destination without committing to a full day of travel. It’s a practical choice for getting between these two points with minimal fuss.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 27.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

This drive is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with 29% of the route on highways. You'll experience a mix of road types, including the Mon/Fayette Expressway, Brownsville Road Extension, and Brownsville Road. The longest stretch without a turn is about 8 miles on the Mon/Fayette Expressway, offering a brief period of more consistent speed. Beyond that, anticipate navigating more local roads, which means you'll be adjusting your speed and direction frequently.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Mon/Fayette Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 4th Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 27.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.6 miles (Brownsville Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

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

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | 4th Street

Turn left onto 4th Street

Navigation decision point

6
12.1 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward West Elizabeth, Finleyville

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

Exit 48 Toward West Elizabeth, Finleyville
6
18.6 mi into trip | ~30m in | Brownsville Road

At end of road, turn left onto Brownsville Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
19.2 mi into trip | ~32m in | Brownsville Road

Turn left onto Brownsville Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
27.3 mi into trip | ~49m in | Grant Street

Turn right onto Grant Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Charleroi, PA and Pittsburgh, PA, road signs point toward Elizabeth and Finleyville.

Elizabeth

12.1 mi in | ~17m

Finleyville

12.1 mi in | ~17m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Mon/Fayette Expressway 8 mi 8m
Brownsville Road Extension 3.9 mi 7m
Brownsville Road 2.6 mi 4m
Saw Mill Run Boulevard 2.6 mi 5m
McChain Road 1.8 mi 4m
Provost Road 1.3 mi 3m
Pennsylvania Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
Liberty Tunnels 1.2 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Mon/Fayette Expressway — 8 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Charleroi, PA and Pittsburgh, PA.

1

Start on PA 88

407 ft · 21 sec · Fallowfield Avenue
2

Turn left onto 4th Street

269 ft · 19 sec · 4th Street
3

Turn left onto PA 88

1.0 mi · 1 min · McKean Avenue
4

Continue on PA 88

0.3 mi · 59 sec · Lincoln Avenue
5

Continue on PA 88

1.2 mi · 2 min · Pennsylvania Avenue
6

Continue on PA 88

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Country Club Road
7

Turn left onto Coyle Curtin Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Coyle Curtin Road
8

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
9

Merge onto PA Tpke 43

8.0 mi · 8 min · Mon/Fayette Expressway
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 59 sec
Exit 48 Toward West Elizabeth, Finleyville
11

Turn left onto Finleyville Elrama Road

0.5 mi · 51 sec · Finleyville Elrama Road
12

Turn right onto McChain Road

70 ft · 1 sec · McChain Road
13

Keep slight left at fork onto McChain Road

1.7 mi · 4 min · McChain Road
14

Turn straight onto Brownsville Road Extension

3.9 mi · 7 min · Brownsville Road Extension
15

At end of road, turn left onto Brownsville Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Brownsville Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Turn left onto Brownsville Road

2.1 mi · 3 min · Brownsville Road
Use the left lane.
17

Continue on Provost Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · Provost Road
18

Continue on Provost Road

202 ft · 7 sec · Provost Road
19

Turn left onto PA 51

0.3 mi · 48 sec · Saw Mill Run Boulevard
20

Continue on PA 51; Blue Belt

2.3 mi · 5 min · Saw Mill Run Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
21

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 15 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22

Continue on this road

361 ft · 12 sec · this road
23

Turn right onto Liberty Tunnels

1.2 mi · 2 min · Liberty Tunnels
Use the right lane.
24

Continue on Liberty Bridge

0.5 mi · 59 sec · Liberty Bridge
25

Turn straight onto Crosstown Boulevard

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Crosstown Boulevard
26

Continue on Sixth Avenue

366 ft · 16 sec · Sixth Avenue
27

Turn left onto Fifth Avenue

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Fifth Avenue
28

Turn right onto Grant Street

513 ft · 21 sec · Grant Street
Use the right lane.
29

Arrive at destination

Grant Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.54 one way

$9.09 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.98 $9.95
premium $4.93 $5.31 $10.63
diesel $5.61 $6.05 $12.10

Estimated Tolls: $0.56

Mon/Fayette Expressway (8 mi) $0.56

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.2 0 $2.88 $1.32
Efficient EV 6.9 0 $2.40 $1.10
EV Truck/SUV 11 0 $3.84 $1.75

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Charleroi, PA

Afternoon in Charleroi on Friday

Local time

4:25 PM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Pittsburgh, PA

Afternoon in Pittsburgh on Friday

Local time

4:25 PM

EDT

Current temp

49°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

1 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

49m 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 Charleroi, PA to Pittsburgh, PA covers 27.4 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Mon/Fayette Expressway, Brownsville Road Extension, Brownsville Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 13.7 miles from Charleroi, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.54 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 is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 27.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.6 miles (Brownsville Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Between Charleroi, PA and Pittsburgh, PA, road signs point toward Elizabeth and Finleyville.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Fort Necessity National Battlefield.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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