Origin
Upper Darby, PA
Morning in Upper Darby on Saturday
Local time
10:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Upper Darby, PA to Willow Grove, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
28.6 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Willow Grove, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Upper Darby, PA to Willow Grove, PA covers 28.6 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Mid-County Expressway, Pennsylvania Turnpike, South Lansdowne Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.8 miles on Mid-County Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Willow Grove, PA
Full guide →Willow Grove is a town in the Philadelphia Region of Pennsylvania approximately 12 miles north of Philadelphia. This article also covers the nearby communities of Horsham and Hatboro.
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 45m. Total distance: 28.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 45m highway drive covering 28.6 miles, with most of the trip on Mid-County Expressway and Pennsylvania Turnpike. The longest continuous stretch is about 10.8 miles on Mid-County Expressway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Mid-County Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Mid-County Expressway and Pennsylvania Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near South Lansdowne Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 28.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (South Lansdowne Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Lansdowne Avenue
Turn left onto South Lansdowne Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
6
5.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 476 North: Plymouth Meeting
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 476 North: Plymouth Meeting
4
17.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward I 276 East: New Jersey
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 276 East: New Jersey
8
26.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward PA 611: Doylestown, Jenkintown, Willow Grove
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 343
Toward PA 611: Doylestown, Jenkintown, Willow G...
8
26.9 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight left at fork toward PA 611 South: Willow Grove, Abington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward PA 611 South: Willow Grove, Abington
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Upper Darby, PA and Willow Grove, PA, road signs point toward Jenkintown and Abington.
Jenkintown
26.3 mi in
|
~40m
Abington
26.9 mi in
|
~41m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-County Expressway | 10.8 mi | 14m |
| Pennsylvania Turnpike | 8.7 mi | 9m |
| South Lansdowne Avenue | 3 mi | 8m |
| West Chester Pike | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Easton Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Providence Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Darby Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Mid-County Expressway
— 10.8 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Upper Darby, PA and Willow Grove, PA.
1
Start on West Providence Road
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
West Providence Road
2
Turn left onto South Lansdowne Avenue
3.0 mi
·
8 min
·
South Lansdowne Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
3
Continue on Darby Road
471 ft
·
13 sec
·
Darby Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
4
Turn slight left onto PA 3
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
West Chester Pike
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 476 North: Plymouth Meeting
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 476
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Mid-County Expressway
7
Turn slight left onto I 476
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Mid-County Expressway
8
Continue on I 476; PATP
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 276 East: New Jersey
10
Merge onto I 276; PATP
8.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Pennsylvania Turnpike
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 343
Toward PA 611: Doylestown, Jenkintown, Willow Grove
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward PA 611 South: Willow Grove, Abington
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Merge onto PA 611
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Easton Road
14
Turn left
65 ft
·
4 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.74 one way
$9.48 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.19 | $10.39 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.55 | $11.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.31 | $12.63 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.17
Pennsylvania Turnpike
(9 mi)
$1.17
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
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 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 | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $4.00 | $1.83 |
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.
Destination
Willow Grove, PA
Morning in Willow Grove on Saturday
Local time
10:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
30 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
45m 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 Upper Darby, PA to Willow Grove, PA covers 28.6 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Mid-County Expressway, Pennsylvania Turnpike, South Lansdowne Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.3 miles from Upper Darby, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.74 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 10 decision points packed into just 28.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (South Lansdowne Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Between Upper Darby, PA and Willow Grove, PA, road signs point toward Jenkintown and Abington.
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.
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