Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
48.8 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Covington, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
The drive from Buffalo, NY to Covington, NY covers 48.8 miles and takes about 1h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Broadway Road, Broadway Street, Telephone Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.9 miles on Broadway Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.03 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 48.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Expect a 1h 17m drive with frequent turns across 48.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.8 miles you will encounter 17 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 0.1 miles (NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
At end of road, turn left onto NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
At end of road, turn right onto Church Street
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 190 South, NY 5 West: Skyway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 East: Buffalo Airport, Albany
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward William Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Buffalo, NY to Covington, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Albany along the way.
Albany
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Broadway Road | 13.9 mi | 19m |
| Broadway Street | 7.5 mi | 12m |
| Telephone Road | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| William Street | 5.2 mi | 9m |
| Niagara Thruway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Ellicott Street Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| Losson Road | 2.9 mi | 6m |
| Big Tree Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Covington, NY.
Start on NY 384
Continue on Perkins Drive
At end of road, turn left onto NY 5
Keep slight right at fork
At end of road, turn right onto Church Street
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 190
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit
Turn right onto William Street
Turn slight right
Turn slight right onto NY 277
Turn left onto Losson Road
Continue on William Street
At end of road, turn left onto Schwartz Road
Turn right onto US 20
Continue on US 20
Continue on US 20
Turn right onto NY 63
Continue on NY 63
Turn right onto NY 246
Turn left onto Court Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.4 mi from Buffalo, NY · 42m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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.
The final approach into Covington, NY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$8.03 one way
$16.07 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $8.69 | $17.37 |
| premium | $4.92 | $9.46 | $18.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.77 | $21.55 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.27
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$0
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
| Efficient EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.27 | $1.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.5 | 0 | $6.83 | $3.12 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Buffalo on Friday
Local time
8:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Areas Of Fog
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 17 at 3:23AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
Destination
Morning in Covington on Friday
Local time
8:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
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
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.
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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