Origin
Jackson Heights, NY
Late night in Jackson Heights on Saturday
Local time
3:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jackson Heights, NY to Jamaica, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
13m
Distance
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jackson Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Jackson Heights, NY to Jamaica, NY is 7.2 miles and takes about 13m via Grand Central Parkway/Northern Boulevard/Van Wyck Expressway West, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a quick hop, mostly on main roads, making it ideal for a brief journey or a segment of a larger trip. You'll be navigating urban and suburban environments, so expect consistent traffic. This route is best suited for those who need to get from point A to point B efficiently within the city.
About the Cities
Arriving in Jamaica, NY
Full guide →Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 13m. Total distance: 7.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route presents a mixed drive, with 54% of it on highways. You'll experience stretches on the Grand Central Parkway, Northern Boulevard, and the Van Wyck Expressway West. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.7 miles on the Grand Central Parkway. The road character shifts between faster-paced parkway driving and more urban arterial roads, requiring attention to changing speed limits and traffic signals as you transition. Expect varied road conditions typical of a metropolitan area.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Grand Central Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 2.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near 114th Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 7.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (114th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
114th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto 114th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long...
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 13
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kenned...
9
5.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 6
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlanti...
9
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Jackson Heights, NY and Jamaica, NY, road signs point toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long Island and Kennedy Airport.
Grand Central Parkway East
1.6 mi in
|
~3m
Eastern Long Island
1.6 mi in
|
~3m
Kennedy Airport
4.6 mi in
|
~7m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Central Parkway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Northern Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Van Wyck Expressway West | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Inwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 114th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Way | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Grand Central Parkway
— 2.7 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jackson Heights, NY and Jamaica, NY.
1
Start on 82nd Street
35 ft
·
8 sec
·
82nd Street
2
Turn left onto NY 25A
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Northern Boulevard
3
Turn right onto 114th Street
294 ft
·
8 sec
·
114th Street
4
Keep slight left at fork onto 114th Street
38 ft
·
1 sec
·
114th Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto GCP
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 13
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
8
Merge onto I 678
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 6
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
Use the right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto Liberty Avenue
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right onto Inwood Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Inwood Street
14
Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way
56 ft
·
2 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Way
15
Arrive at destination
Tuskegee Airmen Way
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.19 one way
$2.37 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.28 | $2.56 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.40 | $2.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Jamaica, NY
Late night in Jamaica on Saturday
Local time
3:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
NE 5 to 9 mph
33% chance
Live forecast
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
13m on the road
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Jackson Heights, NY to Jamaica, NY covers 7.2 miles and takes about 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Grand Central Parkway, Northern Boulevard, Van Wyck Expressway West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.6 miles from Jackson Heights, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.19 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 7.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (114th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Jackson Heights, NY and Jamaica, NY, road signs point toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long Island and Kennedy Airport.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument. 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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