Commute Times & Walkability by Town — Chester, Delaware, Montgomery & New Castle Counties
Commute Times, Rail Access & Walkability — 42 Towns
Every number below was independently measured, not estimated — the same dataset we use internally to advise relocating buyers, made available directly.
Two things vary as much as the destination itself when comparing towns: how long the actual commute takes, and how walkable daily life is once you're there. Neither is meaningfully knowable from a town name or ZIP code alone. Real drive times to Philadelphia and Wilmington, real transit access cross-checked against SEPTA and Amtrak's own published stops, and a real walkability score computed from street-level, amenity-proximity, and safety data — for every town across Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, and New Castle County in Delaware.
But one more thing…
- A short drive time and a walkable town center aren't the same question — some of the most walkable towns here have longer commutes, and vice versa. Worth knowing which one actually matters for your situation.
- "Nearest station" doesn't always mean "in town." Several towns share one regional stop with their neighbors — that's noted below, not hidden.
- SEPTA and Amtrak access are genuinely different things — a station can have one, both, or neither, and the difference matters if you're weighing a daily commute against occasional longer-distance rail.
How This Data Was Produced
Commute Times
Real drive times to both Philadelphia and Wilmington, computed per town — not estimated from straight-line distance.
Rail Access
Nearest regional rail station per town, cross-checked against SEPTA's actual Regional Rail lines and Amtrak's Keystone Service and Northeast Corridor stops. Where a station serves both local SEPTA and longer-distance Amtrak, both are noted — they're genuinely different things.
Walkability
An independently computed 0–100 score from SafeStreets, reflecting real proximity to daily amenities, street-level pedestrian safety, and network design — not the "Walk Score" product, and not a marketing estimate.
SEPTA Ride Time
Real train ride time from each station to Suburban Station — not 30th Street, which most SEPTA trains continue past into the actual Center City core. Pulled directly from SEPTA's own published timetables (effective July 5, 2026), not an estimate. Shown only for towns with genuine SEPTA Regional Rail access; a drive-only or Amtrak-only station won't have one.
We keep this current as towns and transit access change. If you're comparing a specific pair of towns, or want this same precision for a specific address rather than a town center, tell us your situation and we'll walk through it directly.
Full Comparison Table
| Town | County | Commute to Philadelphia | Commute to Wilmington | Nearest Rail Station | SEPTA Ride Time | Walkability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardmore, PA | Montgomery | 25 min (11.4 mi) | 43 min (28.5 mi) | Ardmore — Paoli/Thorndale Line (SEPTA); also Amtrak Keystone Service | 25 min | 65 |
| Aston, PA | Delaware | 33 min (24.1 mi) | 22 min (12.9 mi) | Elwyn | — | 35 |
| Avon Grove, PA | Chester | 1 hr 6 min (49.4 mi) | 36 min (18.2 mi) | Parkesburg | — | 35 |
| Avondale, PA | Chester | 1 hr 1 min (46.4 mi) | 31 min (15.3 mi) | Exton | 52-56 min | 35 |
| Berwyn, PA | Chester | 35 min (23.8 mi) | 45 min (33.1 mi) | Berwyn — Paoli/Thorndale Line | 39 min | 37 |
| Bethel, PA | Delaware | 33 min (25.6 mi) | 19 min (8.7 mi) | Wawa — Media/Wawa Line | 49 min | 28 |
| Broomall, PA | Delaware | 30 min (22.3 mi) | 31 min (25.0 mi) | Ardmore | 25 min | 59 |
| Brookhaven, PA | Delaware | 28 min (19.8 mi) | 20 min (14.7 mi) | Marcus Hook | — | 35 |
| Centerville, DE | New Castle | 46 min (38.2 mi) | 16 min (6.8 mi) | Wilmington | 55 min | 37 |
| Chadds Ford, PA | Delaware | 44 min (31.4 mi) | 23 min (10.3 mi) | Wawa — Media/Wawa Line (local); Amtrak Northeast Corridor via a 23-min drive to Wilmington Station | 49 min | 41 |
| Chester Heights, PA | Delaware | 36 min (27.0 mi) | 24 min (14.9 mi) | Wawa — Media/Wawa Line | 49 min | 32 |
| Coatesville, PA | Chester | 50 min (44.0 mi) | 49 min (26.5 mi) | Coatesville — Amtrak Keystone Service (no SEPTA at this station) | — | 37 |
| Concord, PA | Delaware | 35 min (27.6 mi) | 23 min (10.8 mi) | Wawa — Media/Wawa Line | 49 min | 35 |
| Devon, PA | Chester | 32 min (22.2 mi) | 43 min (32.1 mi) | Devon — Paoli/Thorndale Line | 36 min | 37 |
| Downingtown, PA | Chester | 45 min (36.9 mi) | 44 min (22.7 mi) | Downingtown — Paoli/Thorndale Line (SEPTA); also Amtrak Keystone Service | 62 min | 35 |
| Edgmont, PA | Delaware | 38 min (28.0 mi) | 35 min (26.0 mi) | Eddystone | — | 35 |
| Exton, PA | Chester | 43 min (32.6 mi) | 43 min (22.6 mi) | Exton — Paoli/Thorndale Line (SEPTA); also Amtrak Keystone Service | 52-56 min | 54 |
| Garnet Valley, PA | Delaware | 32 min (24.7 mi) | 22 min (13.1 mi) | Wawa — Media/Wawa Line (local); Amtrak Northeast Corridor via a 22-min drive to Wilmington Station | 49 min | 29 |
| Glen Mills, PA | Delaware | 39 min (29.1 mi) | 28 min (13.2 mi) | Wawa — Media/Wawa Line | 49 min | 37 |
| Greenville, DE | New Castle | 43 min (35.1 mi) | 12 min (3.7 mi) | Wilmington | 55 min | 37 |
| Havertown, PA | Delaware | 31 min (10.5 mi) | 34 min (25.7 mi) | Haverford — Paoli/Thorndale Line | 28 min | 37 |
| Hockessin, DE | New Castle | 52 min (41.1 mi) | 22 min (10.0 mi) | Wilmington | 55 min | 35 |
| Kennett Square, PA | Chester | 55 min (39.4 mi) | 27 min (12.4 mi) | Coatesville | — | 37 |
| Landenberg, PA | Chester | 1 hr 0 min (46.2 mi) | 30 min (15.1 mi) | Coatesville | — | 32 |
| Malvern, PA | Chester | 37 min (26.9 mi) | 47 min (24.0 mi) | Malvern — Paoli/Thorndale Line | 49 min | 37 |
| Marple, PA | Delaware | 32 min (22.4 mi) | 31 min (24.9 mi) | Swarthmore | 31 min | 35 |
| Media, PA | Delaware | 28 min (21.9 mi) | 26 min (19.9 mi) | Media — Media/Wawa Line | 39 min | 71 |
| Narberth, PA | Montgomery | 23 min (10.2 mi) | 45 min (29.5 mi) | Narberth — Paoli/Thorndale Line | 20 min | 40 |
| Newark, DE | New Castle | 58 min (47.9 mi) | 27 min (16.6 mi) | Newark — Wilmington/Newark Line (SEPTA); also Amtrak Northeast Corridor (limited service) | 71 min | 90 |
| Newtown Square, PA | Delaware | 36 min (27.4 mi) | 34 min (25.4 mi) | Wayne | 30 min | 35 |
| Oxford, PA | Chester | 1 hr 10 min (55.6 mi) | 45 min (31.1 mi) | Whitford | 55 min | 35 |
| Paoli, PA | Chester | 36 min (24.4 mi) | 47 min (31.7 mi) | Paoli — Paoli/Thorndale Line (SEPTA); also Amtrak Keystone Service | 45 min | 40 |
| Phoenixville, PA | Chester | 41 min (27.1 mi) | 55 min (31.0 mi) | Royersford Train Station | — | 43 |
| Rose Valley, PA | Delaware | 28 min (20.5 mi) | 26 min (17.3 mi) | Moylan-Rose Valley — Media/Wawa Line | 37 min | 37 |
| Springfield, PA | Delaware | 32 min (22.9 mi) | 29 min (20.9 mi) | Morton | — | 37 |
| Swarthmore, PA | Delaware | 29 min (20.5 mi) | 27 min (17.4 mi) | Swarthmore — Media/Wawa Line | 31 min | 70 |
| Upper Providence, PA | Delaware | 29 min (23.8 mi) | 27 min (21.8 mi) | Media — Media/Wawa Line | 39 min | 35 |
| Wallingford, PA | Delaware | 28 min (20.0 mi) | 25 min (16.8 mi) | Wallingford — Media/Wawa Line | 34 min | 40 |
| Wayne, PA | Delaware | 30 min (19.2 mi) | 38 min (30.6 mi) | Wayne — Paoli/Thorndale Line | 30 min | 57 |
| West Chester, PA | Chester | 46 min (35.7 mi) | 35 min (16.5 mi) | West Chester Railroad | — | 40 |
| West Grove, PA | Chester | 1 hr 2 min (45.6 mi) | 37 min (21.1 mi) | Coatesville | — | 37 |
| Wilmington, DE | New Castle | 38 min (32.2 mi) | — | Wilmington — Wilmington/Newark Line (SEPTA); also Amtrak Northeast Corridor (major hub — Acela and Northeast Regional) | 55 min | 69 |
Common Questions
Want This Precision for a Specific Address?
Town-center numbers are a starting point. If you're evaluating a specific property, we can walk through the actual commute, rail access, and walkability for that exact address.