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Trip from Penn, PA to Bristol, PA

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

Drive Time

5h 32m

Distance

296.8 mi

478 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$49

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
5h 19m ★
6 AM
5h 33m
8 AM
5h 59m
10 AM
5h 42m
12 PM
5h 39m
3 PM
5h 43m
5 PM
5h 58m
8 PM
5h 25m

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

Downtown Penn, PA, PA

Penn, PA

George Becker

borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States

Bristol, PA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Penn, PA to Bristol, PA covers 296.8 miles and takes about 5h 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Pennsylvania Turnpike, Penn Adamsburg Road, Wendel Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 290.7 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $49.21 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

148.4 miles from Penn, PA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 47m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 32m. Total distance: 296.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (98%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 5h 32m highway drive covering 296.8 miles, with most of the trip on Pennsylvania Turnpike and Penn Adamsburg Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 290.7 miles on Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Pennsylvania Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 290.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Pennsylvania Turnpike and Penn Adamsburg Road. You will hit about 17 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Harrison Avenue.

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 296.8 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: near the start (Harrison Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (11th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Coal Street): Navigation decision point.

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 mi into trip | ~0m in | Harrison Avenue

Turn right onto Harrison Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | 11th Street

At end of road, turn right onto 11th Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.6 mi into trip | ~2m in | Coal Street

At end of road, turn right onto Coal Street

Navigation decision point

6
294.2 mi into trip | ~5h 26m in

Take the exit toward US 13: Levittown, Bristol

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

Exit 42 Toward US 13: Levittown, Bristol
8
295.2 mi into trip | ~5h 28m in

Keep slight right at fork toward US 13 South: Bristol

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward US 13 South: Bristol

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Pennsylvania Turnpike 290.7 mi 5h 17m
Penn Adamsburg Road 1.6 mi 3m
Wendel Road 0.8 mi 1m
Bristol Pike 0.6 mi 1m
Jefferson Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Locust Street 0.4 mi 1m
Beaver Street 0.2 mi <1m
Lincoln Highway 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Pennsylvania Turnpike — 290.7 mi, about 5h 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Penn, PA and Bristol, PA.

1

Start on North Railroad Street

179 ft · 9 sec · North Railroad Street
2

Turn right onto Harrison Avenue

326 ft · 16 sec · Harrison Avenue
3

Turn right onto Locust Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Locust Street
4

At end of road, turn right onto 11th Street

0.2 mi · 38 sec · 11th Street
5

At end of road, turn right onto Coal Street

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Coal Street
6

Turn left onto South Youghogheny Street

320 ft · 8 sec · South Youghogheny Street
7

Continue on Penn Adamsburg Road

1.6 mi · 3 min · Penn Adamsburg Road
8

Continue on Edna Road

496 ft · 13 sec · Edna Road
9

Take the ramp

370 ft · 10 sec
10

Merge onto US 30

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Lincoln Highway
11

Take the exit

275 ft · 10 sec
12

Turn left onto Wendel Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Wendel Road
13

Turn left onto I 76; PATP

291 mi · 5 hr 17 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min
Exit 42 Toward US 13: Levittown, Bristol
15

Continue on Pennsylvania Turnpike

360 ft · 8 sec · Pennsylvania Turnpike
16

Keep slight right at fork

357 ft · 8 sec
Toward US 13 South: Bristol Use the right lane.
17

Merge onto US 13

0.6 mi · 1 min · Bristol Pike
Use the left lane.
18

Turn slight left onto Beaver Street

0.2 mi · 36 sec · Beaver Street
Use the left lane.
19

Turn left onto Jefferson Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Jefferson Avenue
20

Turn right onto Pond Street

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Pond Street
21

Turn left

91 ft · 12 sec
22

Arrive at destination

1 ft

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 148.4 miles from Penn, PA, or about 2h 47m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 290.7 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 65 miles or 1h 15m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 148.4 miles or 2h 47m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 30m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bristol, PA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Penn, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Penn, PA

This is one driving day of about 296.8 miles and 5h 32m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from Penn, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Pennsylvania Turnpike for about 290.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 148.4 mi from Penn, PA · 2h 47m into the drive

Downtown Smithsburg, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Smithsburg, MD

148 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

Cumberland, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 65 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Smithsburg, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 148.4 miles from Penn, PA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Pennsylvania Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 290.7 miles.

Arriving in Bristol, PA

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

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Bristol, PA.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$49.21 one way

$98.41 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 104 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $53.89 $107.78
premium $4.93 $57.56 $115.12
diesel $5.61 $65.53 $131.06

Estimated Tolls: $37.79

Pennsylvania Turnpike (290.7 mi) $37.79

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

$49

Tolls

$38

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$112–$137

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 103.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 89 1 $31.16 $14.25
Efficient EV 74.2 0 $25.97 $11.87
EV Truck/SUV 118.7 1 $41.55 $19.00

Gas CO2

104 kg

EV CO2

35 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 14, 2026

Origin

Penn, PA

Morning in Penn on Friday

Local time

11:17 AM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bristol, PA

Morning in Bristol on Friday

Local time

11:17 AM

EDT

Current temp

87°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 0 to 15 mph 8% chance 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

19 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

5h 32m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Penn, PA to Bristol, PA covers 296.8 miles and takes about 5h 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Pennsylvania Turnpike, Penn Adamsburg Road, Wendel Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 148.4 miles from Penn, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $49.21 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 296.8 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: near the start (Harrison Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (11th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Coal Street): Navigation decision point.

The route from Penn, PA to Bristol, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Bristol, PA to Penn, PA

Plan the drive back the other way.

298.4 mi 5h 36m

Explore more options from Penn, PA or browse trips ending in Bristol, PA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse PA road trips.