Trip from Buffalo, NY to Albion, NY

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

54.3 mi

87 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Albion, NY, NY

Albion, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

Trip Overview

The drive from Buffalo, NY to Albion, NY covers 54.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on New York State Thruway, Alleghany Road, State Route 31 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.7 miles on New York State Thruway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.84 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

27.1 miles from Buffalo, NY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 35m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 13m drive with frequent turns across 54.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New York State Thruway is the longest continuous segment at about 19.7 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

855 ft 534 ft

Total Climb

314 ft

Total Descent

378 ft

Highest Point

855 ft

~29.4 mi in

Elevation Range

321 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Washington Street.

Route Complexity 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.3 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Washington Street

Turn left onto Washington Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m in | Elm Street

Turn left onto Elm Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the exit toward NY 33 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward NY 33 East
7
7.9 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany
8
27.9 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward NY 77: Pembroke, Medina

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 48A Toward NY 77: Pembroke, Medina

Towns Along This Route

Between Buffalo, NY and Albion, NY, road signs point toward Albany and Medina.

Albany

7.9 mi in | ~12m

Medina

27.9 mi in | ~36m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New York State Thruway 19.7 mi 23m
Alleghany Road 8.9 mi 13m
State Route 31 7.1 mi 8m
Kensington Expressway 6.8 mi 9m
South Gravel Road 5.4 mi 7m
Million Dollar Highway 1.5 mi 1m
Main Street 1 mi 2m
East Center Street 0.8 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New York State Thruway — 19.7 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Albion, NY.

1

Start on NY 384

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Niagara Square
2

Continue on Court Street

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Court Street
3

Continue on Lafayette Square

372 ft · 18 sec · Lafayette Square
4

Turn left onto Washington Street

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Washington Street
5

Turn right onto Genesee Street

0.3 mi · 49 sec · Genesee Street
6

Turn left onto Elm Street

263 ft · 7 sec · Elm Street
Use the left lane.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 15 sec
Toward NY 33 East
8

Continue on NY 33

6.8 mi · 9 min · Kensington Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany Use the right lane.
10

Merge onto I 90

20 mi · 23 min · New York State Thruway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 48A Toward NY 77: Pembroke, Medina Use the slight right lane.
12

Continue on this road

366 ft · 16 sec · this road
13

Turn left onto NY 77

8.9 mi · 13 min · Alleghany Road
14

Continue on NY 63

5.4 mi · 7 min · South Gravel Road
15

Continue on NY 31; NY 63

1.0 mi · 2 min · Main Street
16

Turn right onto NY 31

0.8 mi · 56 sec · East Center Street
17

Continue on NY 31

1.5 mi · 1 min · Million Dollar Highway
18

Turn straight onto NY 31

7.1 mi · 8 min · State Route 31
19

Continue on NY 31

0.8 mi · 59 sec · West Avenue
20

Turn left onto NY 98

0.4 mi · 41 sec · South Main Street
21

Arrive at destination

NY 98

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 27.1 miles from Buffalo, NY, or about 35m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 19.7 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 54.3 miles or 1h 13m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 27.1 miles or 35m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 3m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Albion, NY than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Buffalo, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Buffalo, NY

This is one driving day of about 54.3 miles and 1h 13m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Buffalo, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on New York State Thruway for about 19.7 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 27.1 mi from Buffalo, NY · 35m into the drive

Downtown Alden, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Alden, NY

27 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Kent, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 54.3 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Alden, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.1 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Albion, NY

The final approach into Albion, 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 Albion, NY.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.84 one way

$17.68 round trip

$4.14/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.48 $9.58 $19.16
premium $4.88 $10.44 $20.88
diesel $5.64 $12.06 $24.13

Estimated Tolls: $0.98

New York State Thruway (19.7 mi) $0.98

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

$9

Tolls

$1

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$35–$60

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 19 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.3 0 $5.70 $2.61
Efficient EV 13.6 0 $4.75 $2.17
EV Truck/SUV 21.7 0 $7.60 $3.48

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

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.

Forecast data refreshed 8 hours ago

Origin

Buffalo, NY

Afternoon in Buffalo on Sunday

Local time

4:24 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Chance Rain Showers

SE 3 to 7 mph 37% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 1:11AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Destination

Albion, NY

Afternoon in Albion on Sunday

Local time

4:24 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Cloudy then Rain Showers Likely

SE 9 mph 63% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 1:11AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

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.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

1h 13m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Buffalo, NY to Albion, NY covers 54.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New York State Thruway, Alleghany Road, State Route 31. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.1 miles from Buffalo, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.84 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.3 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Between Buffalo, NY and Albion, NY, road signs point toward Albany and Medina.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 534 ft to 855 ft elevation with about 314 ft of total climbing.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Buffalo, NY or browse trips ending in Albion, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.

Explore maps for Buffalo, NY or Albion, NY on MapSof.net.