Origin
Elma, NY
Night in Elma on Sunday
Local time
9:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elma, NY to New York City, NY
Drive Time
7h 37m
Distance
360.3 mi
580 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$57
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
7h 28m
★
6 AM
7h 37m
8 AM
7h 57m
10 AM
7h 44m
12 PM
7h 42m
3 PM
7h 45m
5 PM
7h 56m
8 PM
7h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elma, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
New York City, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
Traveling from Elma to New York City covers 360.3 miles and typically takes about 7 hours and 37 minutes. This highway-focused trip is designed for a single day, though the duration makes it a full day behind the wheel. You will rely primarily on the Southern Tier Expressway, the Keystone Shortway, and I-81 to navigate through the Northeast. With an estimated fuel cost of $57, it is a straightforward trek that connects Western New York to the state's largest metropolitan center. Since the entire route remains within New York state, you can expect consistent road signage and infrastructure throughout the journey.
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
180.2 miles from Elma, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 51m into the drive .
Drive Character
Expect a trip dominated by high-speed transit, as 67% of your travel occurs on major highways. You will spend a significant portion of your time on the Southern Tier Expressway, which features the route's longest uninterrupted stretch of 104.5 miles. While the drive is efficient, the personality of the road remains consistent rather than varied, leaning heavily toward an interstate-focused experience. You should be prepared for a steady, focused pace that prioritizes reaching your destination quickly over technical winding roads. This is a practical, utilitarian drive that requires sustained attention during the long highway segments.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 41 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southern Tier Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 104.5 miles.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
1,913 ft
34 ft
Total Climb
3,355 ft
Total Descent
4,039 ft
Highest Point
1,913 ft
~255.2 mi in
Elevation Range
1,879 ft
Notable High Points
1,607 ft at ~210.2 miles
+560 ft prominence
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 190 miles in near I 81.
Route Complexity
8/10
Involved — several decision points to watch
This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 360.3 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 190 miles (I 81): Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 243.3 miles (US 6): Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs — pick the right one; at 247.8 miles (I 380): Highway fork — watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 26 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
190 mi into trip
|
~4h 2m in
|
I 81
Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the none lane.
Toward I 81 South: Scranton
9
243.3 mi into trip
|
~5h 5m in
|
US 6
Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs — pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 187
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbo...
6
247.8 mi into trip
|
~5h 11m in
|
I 380
Highway fork — watch signs carefully
Exit 4
Toward I 380 South: Mount Pocono
7
355.4 mi into trip
|
~7h 25m in
Exit ramp — move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs — pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 139 East: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel
8
355.6 mi into trip
|
~7h 25m in
Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs — pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel
Towns Along This Route
Between Elma, NY and New York City, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford and Newark.
Mt Pocono
243.3 mi in
|
~5h 5m
|
via US 6
Milford
244.1 mi in
|
~5h 7m
|
via I 84; I 380
Newark
335.7 mi in
|
~6h 57m
Main Roads
| 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 |
| Varysburg Road | 10.9 mi | 15m |
| Big Tree Road | 10.5 mi | 15m |
Longest stretch:
Southern Tier Expressway
— 104.5 mi, about 2h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elma, NY and New York City, NY.
1
Start on CR 242
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Bowen Road
2
Turn right onto Jamison Road
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Jamison Road
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
4
Merge onto NY 400
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Aurora Expressway
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward US 20A, NY 78: East Aurora
6
Turn left onto US 20A; NY 78
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Main Street
7
Continue on US 20A; NY 78
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Big Tree Road
8
Continue on US 20A
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Varysburg Road
9
Continue on US 20A
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
West Buffalo Road
10
Continue on US 20A
4.6 mi
·
8 min
·
West Buffalo Street
11
Continue on US 20A
7.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Perry Center Road
12
Continue on CR 64
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Perry Road
13
Turn right onto NY 36
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Mount Morris Road
14
Continue on NY 36
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
North Main Street
15
Continue on NY 36
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Sonyea Road
16
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
17
Merge onto I 390
33 mi
·
37 min
·
Genesee Expressway
18
Merge onto I 86
105 mi
·
2 hr 2 min
·
Southern Tier Expressway
Use the none lane.
19
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
53 mi
·
1 hr 3 min
·
I 81
Toward I 81 South: Scranton
Use the none lane.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
US 6
Exit 187
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt Pocono
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
21
Continue on I 84; I 380
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
I 84; I 380
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South: Mount Pocono, Milford
Use the straight lane.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
24 mi
·
25 min
·
I 380
Exit 4
Toward I 380 South: Mount Pocono
23
Keep slight left at fork
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1B
Toward I 80 East: Stroudsburg
24
Merge onto I 80
63 mi
·
1 hr 19 min
·
Keystone Shortway
Use the none / straight / right lanes.
25
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
26
Continue on I 280
16 mi
·
20 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the none lane.
27
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 17A
Toward CR 508 East: Jersey City
28
Merge onto CR 508
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Newark-Jersey City Turnpike
Use the none lane.
29
Continue on NJ 7
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
New Wittpenn Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward NJ 139 East: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
31
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
32
Turn straight
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Use the straight lane.
33
Merge onto NJ 139
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Conrail Viaduct
34
Continue on NJ 139
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
12th Street Viaduct
Use the none lane.
35
Continue on I 78
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
36
Keep slight left at fork onto I 78
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Holland Tunnel
Toward Holland Tunnel, Manhattan
37
Take the exit
305 ft
·
10 sec
Toward Brooklyn
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
38
Continue on Beach Street
121 ft
·
7 sec
·
Beach Street
Toward Brooklyn, 6th Avenue, Walker Street
Use the straight lane.
39
Turn slight right onto Walker Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Walker Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
40
Turn right onto Broadway
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
Use the straight / none lanes.
41
Arrive at destination
Broadway
Trip Plan
To manage the 7-hour and 37-minute drive effectively, plan for at least two deliberate stops to break up the monotony of the highway stretches. Leaving early in the morning is your best strategy to avoid the potential congestion of entering New York City late in the day. Keep your fuel budget of $57 in mind, and consider topping off your tank before hitting the longest 104.5-mile stretch to avoid any mid-trip stress. Because this is a long, single-day endeavor, remain flexible with your timing to accommodate traffic fluctuations on the major interstates. Prioritize these rest breaks to ensure you arrive at your destination alert and ready for the city.
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 180.2 miles from Elma, NY, or about 3h 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 104.5 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 80 miles or 1h 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 180.2 miles or 3h 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 6h 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near New York City, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Elma, 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 Elma, NY
This is one driving day of about 360.3 miles and 7h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Elma, 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 Southern Tier Expressway for about 104.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 180.2 mi from Elma, NY · 3h 51m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
180 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 180.2 miles from Elma, 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.
Arriving in New York City, NY
The final approach into New York City, 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 New York City, NY.
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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$56.87 one way
$113.74 round trip
$4.01/gal
25.4 MPG avg
126 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.48 | $63.56 | $127.13 |
| premium | $4.86 | $68.95 | $137.91 |
| diesel | $4.69 | $66.58 | $133.17 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.14
Holland Tunnel
$16.00
Newark-Jersey City Turnpike
(2 mi)
$0.14
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
$57
Tolls
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$98–$123
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 126.1 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $38 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 108.1 | 1 | $37.83 | $17.29 |
| Efficient EV | 90.1 | 1 | $31.53 | $14.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 144.1 | 1 | $50.44 | $23.06 |
Gas CO2
126 kg
EV CO2
42 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.
Destination
New York City, NY
Night in New York City on Sunday
Local time
9:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 14 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 12 at 12:56PM 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
12 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
7h 37m 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 Elma, NY to New York City, NY covers 360.3 miles and takes about 7h 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southern Tier Expressway, Keystone Shortway, I 81. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 180.2 miles from Elma, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $56.87 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 26 significant decision points across 360.3 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 190 miles (I 81): Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 243.3 miles (US 6): Highway fork — watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs — pick the right one; at 247.8 miles (I 380): Highway fork — watch signs carefully.
Between Elma, NY and New York City, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford and Newark.
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