How far is Swarthmore, PA from Erie, PA?

The driving distance from Swarthmore, PA to Erie, PA is about 402.1 miles (647.1 km), with a travel time of about 06h 37m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 290.8 miles (468 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 13h 14m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
402.06 mi
06h 37m
Flight
290.83 mi
468.04 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Swarthmore.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
290.83 mi
Kilometers
468.04 km
Flight Time
00h 35m

Driving Distance

Road route
402.06 mi
Kilometers
647.06 km
Drive Time
06h 37m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 06h 37m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Erie
Sun, Apr 19, 4:46 AM EDT
Return by in Swarthmore
Sun, Apr 19, 11:24 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Swarthmore
2026-04-18T22:09
Arrive Erie
Sun, Apr 19, 4:46 AM EDT
Route Timing
06h 37m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
12:37 PM to 2:07 PM EDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
10:46 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Swarthmore
8:00 PM EDT
Overnight-style route

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Curtin
PA

Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania

From Swarthmore
210 mi
03h 18m
To Erie
192 mi
03h 18m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
69°F
Saturday

Mostly Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
5 to 10 mph E
Destination
72°F
Saturday

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
9 to 14 mph S

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Swarthmore and Erie.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Swarthmore and Erie.

  1. 1

    Start on Park Avenue

    601 ft · 27 sec · Park Avenue

  2. 2

    Turn right onto North Chester Road

    26 m · 4 sec · North Chester Road

  3. 3

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 4 toward North Chester Road

    82 m · 12 sec · North Chester Road

  4. 4

    Exit the roundabout onto North Chester Road

    1.1 km · 2 min · North Chester Road

  5. 5

    Turn left onto North Swarthmore Avenue

    547 ft · 16 sec · North Swarthmore Avenue

  6. 6

    Turn right onto Cedar Lane

    652 ft · 21 sec · Cedar Lane

  7. 7

    Turn left onto East Baltimore Pike

    3221 ft · 1 min · East Baltimore Pike

  8. 8

    Take the ramp slight right toward I 476 North: Plymouth Meeting

    1752 ft · 46 sec

  9. 9

    Merge slight left onto Mid-County Expressway

    16 mi · 22 min · Mid-County Expressway

  10. 10

    Turn slight left onto Mid-County Expressway

    885 ft · 14 sec · Mid-County Expressway

  11. 11

    Continue on Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension

    75 mi · 1 hr 21 min · Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension

  12. 12

    Take the exit slight right toward PA 940, I 80: Hazleton, Mount Pocono

    1.1 km · 2 min

  13. 13

    Keep slight left

    879 ft · 24 sec

  14. 14

    Keep slight right to continue on I 80 West: Hazleton

    1650 ft · 40 sec

  15. 15

    Merge slight left onto Keystone Shortway

    256.6 mi · 4 hr 38 min · Keystone Shortway

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight right toward I 79 North: Erie

    1 km · 1 min

  17. 17

    Merge slight right

    65.8 mi · 1 hr 11 min

  18. 18

    Take the exit slight right toward PA 5 East, PA 290 East: 12th Street

    1388 ft · 50 sec

  19. 19

    Turn right onto West 12th Street

    2.3 mi · 5 min · West 12th Street

  20. 20

    Turn left onto State Street

    2318 ft · 2 min · State Street

  21. 21

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · State Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Swarthmore and Erie.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
21 steps
10 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
9
3 merges, 6 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
5.2 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Keystone Shortway
257 mi · 64%
Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension
75 mi · 19%
I 79 North
66.5 mi · 17%
Mid-County Expressway
16.2 mi · 4%
West 12th Street
2.3 mi · 1%
PA 940
0.88 mi
Longest Stretch

Keystone Shortway

Merge slight left onto Keystone Shortway

257 mi · 04h 38m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

Better with a longer stop

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

Drive Time
06h 37m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
13h 14m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+111.3 mi
290.8 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Curtin
03h 18m from Swarthmore
Leave By
10:46 PM EDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Mostly Sunny leaving Swarthmore and Showers And Thunderstorms Likely near Erie.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Swarthmore to Erie?

The road trip is about 402.1 miles (647.1 km) and usually takes 06h 37m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Curtin is a useful midpoint, sitting about 210 miles from Swarthmore and 192 miles from Erie.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 290.8 miles (468 km), while the road route adds roughly 111.3 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $57.98 one way or $115.96 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 126.1 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Mostly Sunny around Swarthmore and Showers And Thunderstorms Likely near Erie.

Stop Ideas Near Curtin

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Curtin, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Curtin.

RAIL

Lewistown

45 mi away
150 Helen Street
RAIL

Tyrone

54 mi away
Pennsylvania Ave and West 10th St.
RAIL

Huntingdon

59 mi away
Fourth and Allegheny Sts.
RAIL

Altoona Transportation Center

75 mi away
1231 11th Avenue

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Swarthmore and Erie. Straight-line distance: 290.83 mi (468.04 km).

Swarthmore

#1 Swarthmore

Borough of Pennsylvania

Population6,372
Coordinates39.9020600, -75.3499100
Altitude39
CountryUnited States
Erie

#2 Erie

The second most populous city in Pennsylvania.

Population95,077
Coordinates42.1292200, -80.0850600
Altitude199
CountryUnited States
Start: Park Avenue (-75.349926, 39.902044)
End: State Street (-80.085094, 42.129207)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 647 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)13h 23m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)10h 03m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)08h 02m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)06h 42m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)05h 44m
80 mph (129 km/h)05h 00m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
14.19 gal
53.71 L · about $57.98
Round trip
$115.96
28.38 gal · 107.42 L
Estimated CO2
126.1 kg one way
Round trip: 252.2 kg / 556 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $4.09 $57.98 $115.96
Mid-grade $4.60 $65.26 $130.52
Premium $4.95 $70.30 $140.59
Diesel $5.98 $84.86 $169.71

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Pennsylvania · Apr 19, 2026

There is no time difference between Swarthmore and Erie. The current time is 22:09:33.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.