Mountain pass · 8 mi off the route
Holme Moss
- Summit
- 524 m summit
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Road trip route · United Kingdom
Manchester to York drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Distance
- 71 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £12
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Manchester to York drive
The drive from Manchester to York covers 71 miles (114 km) and takes about 1 hr 30 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
About 52% of it is on the M62, and most of the rest on the M1 and the A64. You pass Oldham and Leeds on the way.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 386 m near Oldham. The Holme Moss is 8 mi off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £12 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 71 miles this is longer than 9% of the 144 routes covered here, short enough to fold into a bigger itinerary without losing a day.
The road, mile by mile
Towns within a few miles of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartManchester
- 11 miOldham15 min in
- 45 miLeeds57 min in
- 71 miYork
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- M6237 mi · 52%
- M113 mi · 18%
- A6411 mi · 15%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Mountain pass · 11 mi off the route
Woodhead Pass
Famous road · 15 mi off the route
Snake Pass
- Summit
- 510 m summit
Best stops between Manchester and York
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Famous Roads
Snake Pass
A twisting road through the Peak District connecting Sheffield and Manchester, beloved by motorcyclists and driving enthusiasts.
Scenic Viewpoints
Snake Pass Summit
The highest point on the A57 crossing the Pennines, with moorland views stretching across the Dark Peak landscape.
Cafes & Pit Stops
Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Harrogate
Yorkshire tea-room institution founded by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont in 1919, still family-owned and famous for Fat Rascals and its art-deco interior inspired by the Queen Mary liner.
Racetracks
Harewood Speed Hillclimb
The longest hillclimb course in England at 1,598 yards, climbing Yorkshire moorland on the Harewood estate with sweeping open views over Wharfedale from the spectator banks.
Famous Roads
Snake Pass (A57)
The Woodhead-era Telford road over the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower reservoirs, with fast curves and frequent winter closures.
Museums
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
500 acres of 18th-century parkland near Wakefield displaying open-air work by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and changing international artists.
Landmarks
Haworth
The steep-cobbled Pennine village where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote, with the Parsonage Museum and moorland walks to Top Withens.
Landmarks
Derwent Dam
A monumental stone dam used by 617 Squadron to practise for the Dambusters raid, with twin towers above the Upper Derwent Valley.
Mountain Passes
Woodhead Pass
The A628 trans-Pennine route over bleak moorland past the Woodhead reservoirs, frequently closed by snow and high winds.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
United Kingdom
- Motorway
- 112 km/h · 48 in town
- Tolls
- Individual tolled crossings (Dart Charge, M6 Toll)
- Drives on
- the left
Low-emission zones: London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in United Kingdom
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Snake Pass + Peak District
Cobblestone villages, Bronte-novel moors, and the moodiest 14 miles of road in England
104 km · 2h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Atlantic Highway A39: North Cornwall
Cornish surf beaches, smuggler's coves, and the Westcountry pasty trail
139 km · 2.5h driving · 7 stops · 4 days
Causeway Coastal Route
Belfast to Derry along Northern Ireland's cliff-edge coast, via Game of Thrones country
200 km · 3.3h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
NC500: North Coast 500
Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches
755 km · 11.4h driving · 9 stops · 7 days
Manchester to York FAQs
How long is the drive from Manchester to York?
Driving from Manchester to York takes about 1 hr 30 min nonstop, covering 71 miles (114 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Manchester to York?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £12 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Manchester to York in one day?
Yes, at about 1 hr 30 min of driving, Manchester to York is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Manchester to York?
The fastest route uses the M62 (about 37 mi), the M1 (about 13 mi), the A64 (about 11 mi). It passes Oldham, Leeds.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 57 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Manchester and York?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Snake Pass, Snake Pass Summit, Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Harrogate: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Manchester & York
Birmingham → YorkEdinburgh → YorkLondon → ManchesterLondon → YorkManchester → BirminghamManchester → BristolManchester → CardiffManchester → EdinburghManchester → GlasgowManchester → Liverpool
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free United Kingdom road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in United Kingdom guide.