The best road trip stops on the Pittsburgh to Philadelphia drive are Fallingwater, the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Wolf Sanctuary of PA. By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia is 304 miles, with a driving time of around 4h58m.
Planning a Pittsburgh to Philadelphia road trip itinerary
The drive from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia connects the two biggest cities in Pennsylvania.
5 great Pittsburgh experiences worth booking
- 🏙️ Take an incredibly well-reviewed private Pittsburgh highlights tour.
- 🍽️ Go on a downtown food tour, with 6 fantastic food and drink stops.
- 👻 Hear spooky tales in the evening on a Pittsburgh ghost tour.
- 🥃 Discover Pittsburgh’s whiskey-soaked history – with two cocktails thrown in.
- 🛴 Visit Pittsburgh’s top photo stops – on a fun-packed Segway tour.
Pittsburgh is surprisingly beautiful – take a ride up the Duquesne Incline for the best views out over the city, Point State Park and Fort Pitt. After that, check out the Warhol Museum, National Aviary or the Nationality Rooms in the gigantic Cathedral of Learning.
Pittsburgh experiences include guided whiskey-themed walks and craft beer sampling on a multi-brewery tour.
For Pittsburgh hotels with great reviews, try the Italian villa-style Priory Hotel or the often good value Drury Plaza Hotel Pittsburgh Downtown.
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.
Pittsburgh to Philadelphia distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia is 304 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 58 minutes. The quickest route is almost entirely along I-76, and passes state capital Harrisburg.
The best stops on a Pittsburgh to Philadelphia road trip are Fallingwater, the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Wolf Sanctuary of PA.
Best stops between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia: Fallingwater
Visiting Frank Lloyd-Wright’s architectural masterpieces will add another 37 miles to the journey, but it’s worth it. This signature piece of architecture in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands is partially built over a waterfall, with a daring cantilever design.
Tours of Fallingwater show the Japanese influences of Lloyd-Wright’s design and show off how it blends with the mountain landscape.
Harrisburg to Pittsburgh drive: Flight 93 National Memorial
The Flight 93 National Memorial pays tribute to the fourth plane that crashed on 9/11. This is the plane that was heading for the US Capitol Building, but the crew and passengers fought the hijackers until it crashed in a field.
The Flight 93 National Memorial is near the settlement of Shanksville. The Visitor Centre tells the story of what happened on board, while the 93ft-tall Tower of Voices plays 40 wind chimes, acting as the voices of the 40 passengers and crew.
Pittsburg to Philadelphia road trip attractions: Wolf Sanctuary of PA
The Wolf Sanctuary of PA near Speedwell Forge aims to provide a safe space for rescued gray wolves and wolf-dogs. The family-run scheme has been operating for over 40 years, and access is via guided tour only.
The tours introduce visitors to the work being carried out by the sanctuary, and give insights into the characters of the individual wolves that call the reserve home.
More Pennsylvania travel
Other Pennsylvania travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- State parks near Philadelphia: Visitor guides to Marsh Creek State Park, Neshaminy State Park and Benjamin Rush State Park.
- Getting to Philadelphia: Guide to the Cleveland to Philadelphia drive and Harrisburg to Philadelphia drive.
- Road trips from Philadelphia: The best stops on the Philadelphia to Detroit drive.
- Getting to Pittsburgh from interstate: The best stops on the Chicago to Pittsburgh drive, Columbus to Pittsburgh drive, Indianapolis to Pittsburgh drive and Washington DC to Pittsburgh drive.
- Road trips from Pittsburgh: The best stops on the Pittsburgh to Cleveland drive, Pittsburgh to Cincinnati drive, Pittsburgh to Louisville drive and Pittsburgh to Nashville drive.
