Drive Time
8h 45m
Distance
418.7 mi
674 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$68
one way
Photo: Mel Audelo
The drive from Amherst, NY to Bay Shore, NY covers 418.7 miles and takes about 8h 45m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on I 290 E, Youngmann Expressway, I 90 East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $68.16 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
209.3 miles from Amherst, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 22m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 45m drive with frequent turns across 418.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 45m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Amherst, NY to Bay Shore, NY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 290 E | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Youngmann Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 90 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| New York State Thruway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| NY 414 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| State Route 414 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Auburn Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Clark Street Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Amherst, NY and Bay Shore, NY.
Start on Millersport Highway
Take the ramp slight right toward I 290 E
Merge slight left onto Youngmann Expressway
Keep slight left to continue on I 90 East: Albany
Merge slight left onto New York State Thruway
Take the exit slight right toward NY 414: Waterloo, Clyde
Keep slight right
Continue on State Route 414
Turn left
At the end of the road, turn left onto Auburn Road
Continue on Clark Street Road
Turn right onto State Street
Turn left onto Dill Street
Continue on Loop Road
Turn left onto Genesee Street
Continue on West Genesee Street Road
Turn right onto East Lake Street
Continue on East Lake Road
Continue on State Route 41
Continue on East Lake Road
Continue on State Highway 41
Turn right onto North West Street
Take the ramp left
Keep slight right to continue on I 81 South: Binghamton
Merge slight left
Keep slight right to continue on I 81 South: Scranton
Keep slight right to continue on Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Continue on I 84 East, I 380 South: Mount Pocono, Milford
Keep slight right to continue on I 380 South: Mount Pocono
Keep slight left to continue on I 80 East: Stroudsburg
Merge slight right onto Keystone Shortway
Keep slight right to continue on Christopher Columbus Highway
Keep slight left to continue on I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, New York City
Keep slight right to continue on Leonia, Teaneck
Turn right onto Leonia
Turn straight onto Degraw Avenue
Continue on Fort Lee Road
Continue on Main Street
Take the ramp left toward George Washington Bridge
Merge slight left onto Bergen Boulevard
Take the exit slight left toward George Washington Bridge Upper Level
Merge slight left
Keep slight left
Continue on George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Continue on Trans-Manhattan Expressway
Continue on Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right to continue on Cross Bronx Expressway
Merge slight left onto Throgs Neck Expressway
Continue on Throgs Neck Bridge
Continue on Clearview Expressway
Continue on Hollis Court Boulevard
At the end of the road, turn left onto Jamaica Avenue
Turn right onto Hempstead Avenue
Turn right onto 225th Street
Take the ramp straight toward Cross Island Parkway South, Verrazano Bridge
Merge slight left onto Cross Island Parkway
Take the exit slight left toward Southern State Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Merge slight left onto Southern State Parkway
Keep slight left to continue on Southern State Parkway
Take the exit slight right toward Bay Shore Road South, Bay Shore
Turn straight onto Bay Shore Road
Continue on Howells Road
Turn straight onto Sunrise Highway
Keep slight right to continue on Howells Road
Continue on Roosevelt Street
Continue on 3rd Avenue
At the end of the road, turn left onto East Main Street
Turn left onto 1st Avenue
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 92 miles or 1h 55m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 209.3 miles or 4h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 209.3 miles or 4h 22m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bay Shore, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Amherst, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Amherst, NY
Aim for roughly 209 miles and 4.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Bay Shore, NY
Aim for roughly 209 miles and 4.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 209.3 mi from Amherst, NY · 4h 22m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
209 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Abington, PANight 1
209 mi · about 4.4h in
A practical overnight split lands near Abington, PA after about 209 miles or 4.4 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 92 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 209.3 miles from Amherst, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 209 miles or 4.4 hours on the road.
The final approach into Bay Shore, NY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Bay Shore, NY.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Bay Shore, NY with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$68.16 one way
$136.32 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.48 | $73.87 | $147.73 |
| premium | $4.88 | $80.49 | $160.99 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $93.02 | $186.04 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$68
Tolls
$23
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$221–$331
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 146.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $44 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 125.6 | 1 | $43.96 | $20.10 |
| Efficient EV | 104.7 | 1 | $36.64 | $16.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 167.5 | 2 | $58.62 | $26.80 |
Gas CO2
146 kg
EV CO2
49 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Evening in Amherst on Saturday
Local time
6:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in Bay Shore on Saturday
Local time
6:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
62°F
Abington, PA
209 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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