Embarking from Colton, NY, and heading to Babylon, NY, this trip covers 367.9 miles and is estimated to take around 7 hours and 58 minutes of driving time. Designed as a highway-focused drive, about 66% of your journey will be on major roadways, including I-87 and the Adirondack Northway, with State Highway 28N also playing a role. Given its duration, this route is best suited for a single day of travel, though you can budget approximately $61 for fuel. You'll make about 2 planned stops along the way. This northeastern New York to northeastern New York drive offers a straightforward path for reaching your destination.
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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
183.9 miles from Colton, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 4h 9m into the drive
.
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 58m. Total distance: 367.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 58m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Drive Character
This drive is primarily a highway-focused experience, with 66% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on I-87, also known as the Adirondack Northway, which provides long, uninterrupted stretches of driving. The longest continuous segment you'll encounter is 118.6 miles on this interstate. While the majority is highway, State Highway 28N will offer a change of pace before you transition back to faster roads. Expect a consistent driving rhythm for most of the 7 hours and 58 minutes.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 58 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 87 is the longest continuous segment at about 118.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 87 and Adirondack Northway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 182.4 miles in near I 87.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 367.9 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 182.4 miles (I 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 301 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 302.4 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 33 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
9
182.4 mi into trip|~4h 7m in|I 87
Keep slight right at fork onto I 87 toward I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New York, Buffalo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1E-W
Toward I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New Yo...
9
301 mi into trip|~6h 25m in|NY 17
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17 toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
8
302.4 mi into trip|~6h 27m in|NJ 17
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17 toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 66
Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
8
331.4 mi into trip|~7h 7m in|I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
8
344.4 mi into trip|~7h 26m in
Take the exit toward Southern State Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 25A
Toward Southern State Parkway East, Eastern Lon...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Colton, NY and Babylon, NY, road signs point toward Albany, New York, Buffalo, Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee and Cross Island Parkway South - among others.
Albany
182.4 mi in|~4h 7m|via I 87
New York
182.4 mi in|~4h 7m|via I 87
Buffalo
182.4 mi in|~4h 7m|via I 87
Gsp South: Paterson
316.4 mi in|~6h 45m
Fort Lee
316.4 mi in|~6h 45m
Cross Island Parkway South
342.9 mi in|~7h 23m
Southern State Parkway East
344.4 mi in|~7h 26m
Eastern Long Island
344.4 mi in|~7h 26m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 87
118.6 mi
2h 17m
Adirondack Northway
77 mi
1h 30m
State Highway 28N
30.3 mi
43m
State Highway 56
23.1 mi
34m
Adirondack Trail
19.3 mi
27m
Southern State Parkway
18 mi
22m
State Route 3
14.8 mi
20m
NJ 17
14.1 mi
18m
Longest stretch:
I 87
— 118.6 mi, about 2h 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colton, NY and Babylon, NY.
1
Start on NY 56
23 mi·34 min·State Highway 56
2
At end of road, turn left onto NY 3
15 mi·20 min·State Route 3
3
Continue on NY 3
1.0 mi·2 min·Main Street
4
Continue on NY 3
1.2 mi·2 min·Demars Boulevard
5
Continue on NY 3
0.1 mi·30 sec·Lake Street
6
Turn left onto NY 3
282 ft·12 sec·Mill Street
7
Turn right onto NY 30
0.2 mi·33 sec·East Park Street
8
Turn left onto NY 30
1.9 mi·3 min·Wawbeek Avenue
9
Continue on NY 30
0.8 mi·1 min·Adirondack Trail
10
Continue on NY 30
0.5 mi·46 sec·Moody Road
11
Continue on NY 30
18 mi·25 min·Adirondack Trail
12
Continue on NY 30
0.3 mi·42 sec·Lake Street
13
Continue on NY 30
0.4 mi·58 sec·Adirondack Trail
14
At end of road, turn left onto NY 28N
0.7 mi·1 min·State Highway 28N
15
Continue on NY 28N
2.5 mi·3 min·Newcomb Road
16
Continue on NY 28N
30 mi·41 min·State Highway 28N
17
Turn slight left onto CR 30
2.8 mi·4 min·A P Morse Highway
18
Keep slight left at fork onto Donnelly Road
0.6 mi·1 min·Donnelly Road
19
Continue on CR 29
1.2 mi·1 min·County Highway 29
20
Continue on CR 19
4.8 mi·7 min·Olmstedville Road
21
Turn straight onto US 9
0.2 mi·38 sec·US 9
22
Turn left onto Valley Farm Road
0.3 mi·33 sec·Valley Farm Road
23
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·31 sec
24
Merge onto I 87
77 mi·1 hr 30 min·Adirondack Northway
Use the slight right lane.
25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 87
0.3 mi·31 sec·I 87
Exit 1E-WToward I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New York, BuffaloUse the slight right lane.
26
Continue on I 87
0.5 mi·51 sec·I 87
Exit 1WToward I 87 South, I 90 West: New York, Buffalo
27
Keep slight right at fork onto I 87
118 mi·2 hr 16 min·I 87
Toward I 87 South: New YorkUse the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17
0.9 mi·59 sec·NY 17
Exit 15Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New JerseyUse the slight right lane.
29
Continue on I 287; NJ 17
0.5 mi·39 sec·I 287; NJ 17
30
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17
14 mi·18 min·NJ 17
Exit 66Toward NJ 17 South: MahwahUse the slight left / straight lanes.
31
Take the exit
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York
32
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York
33
Merge onto NJ 4
0.3 mi·24 sec·NJ 4
Use the right lane.
34
Continue on NJ 4
6.4 mi·8 min·NJ 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
35
Take the exit
0.2 mi·18 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
36
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
0.7 mi·54 sec·I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
0.8 mi·1 min·I 95 EXPR
38
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
0.6 mi·1 min·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
39
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
40
Continue on I 95; US 1
4.7 mi·6 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
41
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
2.0 mi·2 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6BToward I 295 South: Throgs Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
42
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi·58 sec·Throgs Neck Expressway
43
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
44
Continue on I 295
5.0 mi·5 min·Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
45
Continue on NY 24
0.7 mi·1 min·Hollis Court Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
46
At end of road, turn left onto NY 24
0.2 mi·35 sec·Jamaica Avenue
Use the left lane.
47
Turn right onto Hempstead Avenue
0.9 mi·2 min·Hempstead Avenue
48
Turn right onto 225th Street
228 ft·9 sec·225th Street
Use the right lane.
49
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway South, Verrazano Bridge
50
Merge onto CI
1.3 mi·1 min·Cross Island Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
51
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 25AToward Southern State Parkway East, Eastern Long IslandUse the slight left / straight lanes.
52
Merge onto SO
18 mi·22 min·Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
53
Take the exit
0.2 mi·35 sec
Exit 33Toward NY 109 East: BabylonUse the slight right lane.
54
Turn slight right onto NY 109
3.5 mi·5 min·Farmingdale Road
Use the left lane.
55
Continue on NY 109
0.9 mi·1 min·Little East Neck Road North
56
Turn left onto NY 27A
0.5 mi·49 sec·West Main Street
57
Turn right onto South Carll Avenue
68 ft·2 sec·South Carll Avenue
58
Arrive at destination
South Carll Avenue
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 367.9-mile journey, consider an early morning departure from Colton, NY, to maximize daylight and minimize traffic. With a 7-hour 58-minute estimated drive time, you'll want to plan for your two stops strategically, perhaps one midway for a break and fuel. The longest stretch without a major road change is over 118 miles on I-87, so be sure to fuel up before entering that segment. Keeping your fuel cost around $61 in mind will help with budgeting for this straightforward, predominantly highway route.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 183.9 miles from Colton, NY, or about 4h 9m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 118.6 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 81 miles or 2h in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 183.9 miles or 4h 9m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 34m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Babylon, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Colton, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Colton, NY
This is one driving day of about 367.9 miles and 7h 58m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 81 miles from Colton, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 87 for about 118.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 183.9 mi from Colton, NY
· 4h 9m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
National Memorial
Merchant’s clerk, Revolutionary War soldier, first Secretary Treasury of the United States: Alexander Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Man...
4 mi from route
~10 min detour
Free
near mile 329.8
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict...
5 mi from route
~12 min detour
Free
near mile 329.8
In 1777, a large British invasion force met an equally large American army here at Saratoga. After two intense battles, an eight-mile retreat, and a three-day siege, British General John Burgoyne surr...
9 mi from route
~23 min detour
Free
near mile 152.2
Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for civil r...
10 mi from route
~24 min detour
Free
near mile 329.8
The African Burial Ground stands as the oldest and largest known excavated burial site in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It offers a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Af...
11 mi from route
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 329.8
Here at Federal Hall, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States, marking the beginning of the American constitutional republic. This historic site served as...
11 mi from route
~29 min detour
Free
near mile 329.8
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $39 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
110.4
1
$38.63
$17.66
Efficient EV
92
1
$32.19
$14.72
EV Truck/SUV
147.2
1
$51.51
$23.55
Gas CO2
129 kg
EV CO2
43 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 18, 2026
Origin
Colton, NY
Late night
in Colton on Saturday
Local time
5:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
37°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Babylon, NY
Late night
in Babylon on Saturday
Local time
5:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Partly Cloudy
NE 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
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
13 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
7h 58m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Colton, NY to Babylon, NY covers 367.9 miles and takes about 7h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 87, Adirondack Northway, State Highway 28N. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 183.9 miles from Colton, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $60.56 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 367.9 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 182.4 miles (I 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 301 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 302.4 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Colton, NY and Babylon, NY, road signs point toward Albany, New York, Buffalo, Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee and Cross Island Parkway South - among others.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Saratoga National Historical Park. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
