Philadelphia to New York City Drive With Kids

Leave room for traffic and plan a museum break.

The drive

Distance: About 90 miles
Typical drive time: About two hours

Measured from New York City, as the source states it (the same drive in reverse), as stated by the official source listed at the bottom of this page. Traffic, weather and stops with kids add time, so plan for a longer day than the map shows.

Kid-friendly stops on the way

Each stop was checked on its own official site. Open it before you go for current hours, prices and any closures.

New Jersey State Museum
Trenton, NJ
The state museum in Trenton, with planetarium shows.
Official site
Liberty Science Center
Jersey City, NJ
A large science center in Liberty State Park on the Hudson, with exhibit halls, live animals, giant aquariums and a planetarium.
Official site

Need more ideas before you leave? Browse things to do with kids in Philadelphia or plan a different route.

Free road-trip stop checklist

Stop before everyone runs out of patience: how to plan a real break to burn energy, pick an indoor backup in case it rains, and add up the family total before you pay. One page, emailed now. Then The Weekend Scout once a week: one family outing idea for the weekend. Free. Unsubscribe from any email.

Three things to plan before you leave

Leave room for traffic near the tunnels and bridges into the city.
Use one stop with food, restrooms and room to move.
Holiday weekends bring heavier traffic, so leave earlier than usual.

Checked against: Visit Philadelphia: getting here (checked Oct 31, 2026)

Save this route on Pinterest

Plan the Philadelphia to New York City family drive with a Trenton state museum stop and Liberty Science Center.

Save to Pinterest