The drive from Palmer Heights, PA to Upper Darby, PA covers 74.7 miles and takes about 1h 40m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, Lehigh Valley Thruway, Mid-County Expressway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37.4 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.38 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
37.3 miles from Palmer Heights, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 48m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 40m. Total distance: 74.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 40m highway drive covering 74.7 miles, with most of the trip on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and Lehigh Valley Thruway. The longest continuous stretch is about 37.4 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 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 37.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and Lehigh Valley Thruway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Sales Street.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 74.7 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 0.6 miles (Sales Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|Sales Street
Turn left onto Sales Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
19.2 mi into trip|~27m in
Take the exit toward PATP, I 476 Toll: Philadelphia, Scranton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward PATP, I 476 Toll: Philadelphia, Scranton
7
19.8 mi into trip|~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 476 South: Philadelphia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 476 South: Philadelphia
7
57.4 mi into trip|~1h 9m 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
68.5 mi into trip|~1h 24m 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 Palmer Heights, PA and Upper Darby, PA, road signs point toward Patp, Scranton and Broomall.
The midpoint is around 37.3 miles from Palmer Heights, 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Valley Forge National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Valley Forge is the place where George Washington and the Continental Army took refuge during the winter of 1777-1778. Today the park protects 3,500 acres of meadows, woodlands, historic landscapes, a...
6 mi from route
~16 min detour
Free
near mile 64.4
The park represents the founding ideals of the nation, and preserves national and international symbols of freedom and democracy, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of I...
Visit the house where wounded Polish freedom fighter Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived and hear how this brilliant military engineer designed successful fortifications during the American Revolution. See the...
7 mi from route
~17 min detour
Free
near mile 74.7
Famous as the First State to ratify the Constitution, Delaware was born out of a conflict among three world powers for dominance of the Delaware Valley. From this beginning, the region developed a dis...
16 mi from route
~40 min detour
Free
near mile 69.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.38 one way
$24.77 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg26 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$13.56
$27.13
premium
$4.93
$14.49
$28.97
diesel
$5.61
$16.49
$32.99
Estimated Tolls: $6.15
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(37.4 mi)$4.87
Lehigh Valley Thruway
(18.3 mi)$1.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Tolls
$6
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
22.4
0
$7.84
$3.59
Efficient EV
18.7
0
$6.54
$2.99
EV Truck/SUV
29.9
0
$10.46
$4.78
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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 16, 2026
Origin
Palmer Heights, PA
Morning
in Palmer Heights on Saturday
Local time
7:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Upper Darby, PA
Morning
in Upper Darby on Saturday
Local time
7:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 40m 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 Palmer Heights, PA to Upper Darby, PA covers 74.7 miles and takes about 1h 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, Lehigh Valley Thruway, Mid-County Expressway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 37.3 miles from Palmer Heights, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.38 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 74.7 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Sales Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Palmer Heights, PA and Upper Darby, PA, road signs point toward Patp, Scranton 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 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.
