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Trip from Buffalo, NY to Clifton Park, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

5h 42m

Distance

283.7 mi

457 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$47

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
5h 29m ★
6 AM
5h 42m
8 AM
6h 9m
10 AM
5h 52m
12 PM
5h 49m
3 PM
5h 53m
5 PM
6h 7m
8 PM
5h 34m

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

town in Saratoga County, New York state, USA

Clifton Park, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Buffalo, NY to Clifton Park, NY covers 283.7 miles and takes about 5h 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Court Street, Lafayette Square, Washington Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $46.70 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

141.9 miles from Buffalo, NY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 51m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 42m. Total distance: 283.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 5h 42m drive with frequent turns across 283.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Court Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 5h 42m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Buffalo, NY to Clifton Park, NY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Court Street
Lafayette Square
Washington Street
Genesee Street
Elm Street
NY 33 East
Kensington Expressway
I 90 East

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Court Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Niagara Square

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Niagara Square
2

Exit the rotary onto Court Street

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Court Street
3

Continue on Lafayette Square

374 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

262 ft · 8 sec · Elm Street
7

Take the exit straight toward NY 33 East

0.2 mi · 15 sec · NY 33 East
8

Continue on Kensington Expressway

6.8 mi · 9 min · Kensington Expressway
9

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

0.3 mi · 46 sec · I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany
10

Merge slight left onto New York State Thruway

259 mi · 4 hr 59 min · New York State Thruway
11

Take the exit slight right toward I 890, NY 5, NY 5S: Schenectady, Scotia

0.8 mi · 1 min · I 890, NY 5, NY 5S: Schenectady, Scotia
12

Turn straight

0.4 mi · 55 sec
13

Continue straight

1.7 mi · 2 min
14

Take the exit slight right toward NY 337

0.8 mi · 1 min · NY 337
15

Keep slight right

0.4 mi · 33 sec
16

Keep slight right

0.7 mi · 1 min
17

Continue on Erie Boulevard

1.0 mi · 2 min · Erie Boulevard
18

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Erie Boulevard

89 ft · 1 sec · Erie Boulevard
19

Exit the roundabout onto Erie Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · Erie Boulevard
20

Turn right onto Maxon Road Extension

0.8 mi · 2 min · Maxon Road Extension
21

Continue on Van Vranken Avenue

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Van Vranken Avenue
22

Continue on Aqueduct Road

1.6 mi · 2 min · Aqueduct Road
23

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Balltown Road

272 ft · 4 sec · Balltown Road
24

Exit the roundabout onto Balltown Road

1.1 mi · 1 min · Balltown Road
25

Turn slight right

3.6 mi · 5 min
26

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 146

92 ft · 2 sec · State Highway 146
27

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 146

2.7 mi · 4 min · State Highway 146
28

Turn left onto Halfmoon Parkway

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Halfmoon Parkway
29

Turn left onto Old Route 146

75 ft · 3 sec · Old Route 146
30

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 141.9 miles from Buffalo, NY, or about 2h 51m into the drive.

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 62 miles or 1h 14m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 141.9 miles or 2h 51m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 40m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Clifton Park, 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 283.7 miles and 5h 42m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 miles from Buffalo, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 141.9 mi from Buffalo, NY · 2h 51m into the drive

village in Oneida County, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Whitesboro, NY

142 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

Victor, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 62 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Whitesboro, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 141.9 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Clifton Park, NY

The final approach into Clifton Park, 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 Clifton Park, 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

$46.70 one way

$93.40 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 99 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $50.50 $100.99
premium $4.92 $54.99 $109.97
diesel $5.61 $62.64 $125.27

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$47

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$72–$97

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 99.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $30 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 85.1 1 $29.79 $13.62
Efficient EV 70.9 0 $24.82 $11.35
EV Truck/SUV 113.5 1 $39.72 $18.16

Gas CO2

99 kg

EV CO2

33 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Buffalo, NY

Morning in Buffalo on Friday

Local time

11:10 AM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Clifton Park, NY

Morning in Clifton Park on Friday

Local time

11:10 AM

EDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

39°F

Whitesboro, NY

142 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.

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

4 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

5h 42m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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 Clifton Park, NY covers 283.7 miles and takes about 5h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Court Street, Lafayette Square, Washington Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 141.9 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 $46.70 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

This is a straightforward 5h 42m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Buffalo, NY to Clifton Park, NY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Buffalo, NY to Clifton Park, NY does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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