drive to + destination
Showing where someone goes
Drive to introduces the place you are travelling to.
He drove to the coast for the weekend.
drive by, to, in, on or through?
Different prepositions after drive express movement, direction, location, or the route you use.
Quick answer
Common uses of drive with prepositions
Use drive to for a destination, drive through for movement across an area, and drive by for passing something. Drive in and drive on are also common in specific contexts.
We drove to the airport before sunrise.
She drove by my office without stopping.
They drove through the tunnel during the storm.
She drove by my office without stopping.
They drove through the tunnel during the storm.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
drive by + place
Passing a place without stopping
Drive by means moving past a place or person.
I drove by the old school yesterday.
drive through + area
Moving across or inside an area
Drive through is used for roads, tunnels, towns, and services such as drive-through restaurants.
We drove through the city at night.
drive in + vehicle or entrance
Entering or being inside
Drive in can describe entering a place by car or travelling inside a vehicle.
She drove in through the south gate.
They arrived in a car that her brother drove.
drive on + surface or route
Using a road or surface
Drive on refers to the road, track, or surface used.
You cannot drive on wet grass here.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
drive by
We drove by the stadium.
pass a place without stopping
drive to
She drove to work.
travel toward a destination
drive in
The taxi drove in through the main entrance.
enter a place or be inside a vehicle
drive on
They drove on icy roads.
travel using a surface or route
drive through
We drove through the forest.
move across or inside an area
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using drive by for a destination
Drive by means passing something, not reaching it.
✕ We drove by the airport for our flight. ✓ We drove to the airport for our flight.Confusing drive in and drive into
Drive into is usually needed before a noun object.
✕ She drove in the garage. ✓ She drove into the garage.Using drive on for destinations
Drive on normally refers to a surface or route.
✕ They drove on Paris. ✓ They drove to Paris.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. We ___ the village without stopping.
2. She drove ___ the airport before dawn.
3. They drove ___ the tunnel during the storm.
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Frequently asked questions
Is drive through the same as drive across?
They are similar, but drive through emphasises being inside an area, while drive across emphasises crossing from one side to another.
Can I say drive in the city?
Yes. Here in the city is a place adjunct, not a fixed verb-preposition combination.
What does drive on mean?
It usually refers to the road or surface used, such as drive on sand or drive on the highway.
Related preposition guides
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