The best road trip stops on the Philadelphia to Washington DC drive are Longwood Gardens, Baltimore and the NASA Goddard Visitor Center. The distance from Philadelphia to Washington DC by car is 136 miles, with a 2h21m driving time.
Planning a Philadelphia to Washington DC road trip itinerary
The Philadelphia to Washington DC drive connects two of America’s greatest cities.
Philadelphia is drenched in historic sites, such as the Liberty Bell Center, Christ Church Burial Ground and Betsy Ross House.
The Museum of the American Revolution tells of the country’s birth, but the city’s superb museum collection delves into other areas. The Rodin Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are top tier art museums, while the the Franklin Institute, Mutter Museum and Academy of Natural Sciences look at various branches of science. For maritime heritage, plump for the Battleship New Jersey and Independence Seaport Museum.
However, it’s likely to be the Eastern State Penitentiary – the model for prisons around the world – that sticks in your memory long afterwards.
5 great things to do in Philadelphia
- 🥖 Taste the best of Philly on a food tour – including historic Reading Market.
- 🏛️ Get to know Philadelphia’s heritage sites – on a guided walking tour.
- 🍻 Go on a pub crawl – but learn the history between beers.
- 🎨 Let a guide show you Philadelphia’s best murals and street art – including Magic Gardens.
- 🌙 Discover Philly’s dark side – on an adults-only night tour.
Washington DC has an enormous range of tours, experiences and attractions available. You could happily spend weeks in the Smithsonian Museums alone. Top choices, however, include the nighttime monuments and memorials tour, small group guided visits to the Capitol and National Library of Congress and Lincoln assassination tours that visit Fords Theatre.
There are several underrated Washington DC attractions to add in to the itinerary if you have time. I like the National Museum of the American Indian, Lincoln’s Cottage and Dumbarton Oaks next to Rock Creek Park.
Memorable Washington DC accommodation options include the Willard, where Martin Luther King Jr wrote his I Have A Dream speech. There’s also the Watergate Hotel, a luxurious conversion of the offices from the Watergate scandal.
Philadelphia to Washington DC distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Philadelphia to Washington DC is 136 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 21 minutes. The quickest route is down the I-95.
The best stops to add to a Philadelphia to Washington DC road trip itinerary are Longwood Gardens, Baltimore and the NASA Goddard Visitor Center.
5 Washington DC experiences worth booking
- 🏛️ Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the US Capitol Building, with the Library of Congress or Supreme Court included.
- 🏡 Combine George Washington’s Mount Vernon with Old Town Alexandria on a history-packed day tour.
- 🕊️ Take a guided walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery, including the Changing of the Guard.
- 🚲 Visit the monuments and memorials of the National Mall on a bike tour that gets you closer than the bus routes.
- 🍽️ Go on a tasting tour of Georgetown’s top foodie highlights.
Philadelphia to Washington DC road trip attractions: Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley is a showcase for the art of horticulture. There are nearly 200 acres to explore, with more than 10,000 species of plant on display, as well as some notoriously showy fountains. Things aren’t dead in winter either – the main conservatory is home to winter blooms and there are fabulous Christmas lights displays.
Philadelphia to Washington DC drive: Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is a character-packed port city that has spruced itself up in recent years and has a wealth of attractions to explore. The Fort McHenry National Monument is the number one historical attraction, but there’s plenty to see around the Inner Harbor. The National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Historic Ships and Port Discovery Children’s Museum are the big hitters.
Top experiences include historical sightseeing tours, sailing on Inner Harbor and ghost tours in the Fell’s Point neighbourhood.
For other options, try brewery-hopping tours, helicopter rides and Fell’s Point food tours.
Best stops between Philadelphia and Washington DC: NASA Goddard Visitor Center
The NASA Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, showcases the work NASA does here. The Goddard Space Flight Center manages many space missions and is a key scientific research base.
The Visitor Center covers astrophysics, planetary science, space communications and engineering, amongst other topics. It also gives an insight into what a vast organisation NASA is. Entry is free.
More Philadelphia and Washington DC travel
- Getting to Philadelphia: Guide to the Harrisburg to Philadelphia drive and Pittsburgh to Philadelphia drive
- Driving to Philadelphia from interstate: Plan your stops on the Chicago to Philadelphia drive, Cleveland to Philadelphia drive, Columbus to Philadelphia drive, Indianapolis to Philadelphia drive, New York City to Philadelphia drive and St Louis to Philadelphia drive
- Road trips from Philadelphia: The best stops on the Philadelphia to Baltimore drive, Philadelphia to Cincinnati drive and Philadelphia to Detroit drive.
- Getting to Washington DC: The best stops on the Chicago to Washington DC drive.
- Road trips from Washington DC: What to see on the Washington DC to Baltimore drive and Washington DC to Pittsburgh drive.
