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Create accountDrive Time
8h 4m
Distance
378.8 mi
610 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$62
one way
EV Charging
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station data
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kensington, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
The drive from Buffalo, NY to Kensington, NY covers 378.8 miles and takes about 8h 4m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Southern Tier Expressway, Keystone Shortway, I 81 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 104.5 miles on Southern Tier Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $61.67 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
189.4 miles from Buffalo, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 2m into the drive .
This is a 8h 4m highway drive covering 378.8 miles, with most of the trip on Southern Tier Expressway and Keystone Shortway. The longest continuous stretch is about 104.5 miles on Southern Tier Expressway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern Tier Expressway and Keystone Shortway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 39 significant decision points across 378.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
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 right at fork toward I 90 West: Erie
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NY 400, NY 16: West Seneca, East Aurora
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6 toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt Pocono
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Between Buffalo, NY and Kensington, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford and Newark.
Mt Pocono
Milford
Newark
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Tier Expressway | 104.5 mi | 2h 2m |
| Keystone Shortway | 63.3 mi | 1h 19m |
| I 81 | 53.4 mi | 1h 3m |
| Genesee Expressway | 32.6 mi | 37m |
| I 380 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| Essex Freeway | 15.8 mi | 20m |
| Aurora Expressway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| Varysburg Road | 10.9 mi | 15m |
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Kensington, 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 right at fork
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit
Continue on NY 400
Take the exit
Turn left onto US 20A; NY 78
Continue on US 20A; NY 78
Continue on US 20A
Continue on US 20A
Continue on US 20A
Continue on US 20A
Continue on CR 64
Turn right onto NY 36
Continue on NY 36
Continue on NY 36
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 390
Merge onto I 86
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6
Continue on I 84; I 380
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 80
Take the exit
Continue on I 280
Take the exit
Merge onto CR 508
Continue on NJ 7
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight
Merge onto NJ 139
Continue on NJ 139
Continue on I 78
Keep slight left at fork onto I 78
Take the exit
Turn slight left onto Laight Street
At end of road, turn left onto NY 9A
Take the exit
Continue on I 278
Take the exit onto NY 27
Take the exit onto NY 27
Turn left onto NY 27
Turn right onto NY 27
Turn left onto Turner Place
Turn left onto Stratford Road
Turn left onto Albemarle Road
Arrive at 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 83 miles or 1h 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 189.4 miles or 4h 2m 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 189.4 miles or 4h 2m
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 6h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Kensington, NY than in the middle of the route.
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.
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 Buffalo, NY
Aim for roughly 189 miles and 4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Kensington, NY
Aim for roughly 189 miles and 4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 189.4 mi from Buffalo, NY · 4h 2m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
189 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 Syracuse, NYNight 1
189 mi · about 4h in
A practical overnight split lands near Syracuse, NY after about 189 miles or 4 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 83 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 189.4 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Southern Tier Expressway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 104.5 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 189 miles or 4 hours on the road.
The final approach into Kensington, 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 Kensington, NY.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Kensington, NY with some flexibility left in the schedule.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$61.67 one way
$123.33 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.48 | $66.83 | $133.65 |
| premium | $4.88 | $72.82 | $145.64 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $84.16 | $168.31 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.44
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
$62
Tolls
$16
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$208–$318
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 132.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 113.6 | 1 | $39.77 | $18.18 |
| Efficient EV | 94.7 | 1 | $33.14 | $15.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 151.5 | 1 | $53.03 | $24.24 |
Gas CO2
133 kg
EV CO2
44 kg (67% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Buffalo on Sunday
Local time
4:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
33°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Afternoon in Kensington on Sunday
Local time
4:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
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.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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