Trip from Jamaica, NY to Albany, NY

Drive Time

3h 12m

Distance

155.4 mi

250 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$25

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 35 min
4 AM
3h 1m ★
6 AM
3h 12m
8 AM
3h 36m
10 AM
3h 21m
12 PM
3h 18m
3 PM
3h 22m
5 PM
3h 35m
8 PM
3h 5m

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

Downtown Jamaica, NY, NY

Jamaica, NY

Mateusz Walendzik

Trip Overview

The drive from Jamaica, NY to Albany, NY covers 155.4 miles and takes about 3h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on NY 17, NJ 17, NJ 4 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 111.7 miles on NY 17. At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.30 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

77.7 miles from Jamaica, NY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 40m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 3h 12m highway drive covering 155.4 miles, with most of the trip on NY 17 and NJ 17. The longest continuous stretch is about 111.7 miles on NY 17.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 39 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NY 17 is the longest continuous segment at about 111.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NY 17 and NJ 17. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 10.3 miles in.

Route Complexity 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 155.4 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 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 26 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

8
10.3 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 19S-W; 19N Toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: Geor...
10
10.5 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, I 278 West: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Exit 19S-W Toward I 95 South, I 278 West: George Washingto...
8
18.4 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
9
18.6 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 4 West: Paramus

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 72A Toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
8
25.6 mi into trip | ~37m in

Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah

Towns Along This Route

Between Jamaica, NY and Albany, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack, Gsp South and Gsp North - among others.

Manhattan

10.3 mi in | ~15m

New Haven Connecticut

10.3 mi in | ~15m

Upper Level

15.9 mi in | ~23m | via I 95; US 1

Njtp South: Hackensack

18.4 mi in | ~27m

Gsp South

25.4 mi in | ~37m

Gsp North

25.4 mi in | ~37m

Newark

25.4 mi in | ~37m

Mahwah

25.4 mi in | ~37m

New York State Thruway North: Albany

40.7 mi in | ~57m | via NY 17

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NY 17 111.7 mi 2h 8m
NJ 17 14.7 mi 18m
NJ 4 6.7 mi 9m
Van Wyck Expressway 5.7 mi 7m
I 95 4.8 mi 6m
Whitestone Expressway 2 mi 2m
I 787 1.6 mi 2m
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge 1.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: NY 17 — 111.7 mi, about 2h 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and Albany, NY.

1

Start on Tuskegee Airmen Way

303 ft · 17 sec · Tuskegee Airmen Way
2

Turn right onto Pinegrove Street

0.2 mi · 44 sec · Pinegrove Street
3

At end of road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue

435 ft · 13 sec · Liberty Avenue
4

Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway East

77 ft · 1 sec · Van Wyck Expressway East
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge, Bronx
6

Merge onto I 678

5.7 mi · 7 min · Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
7

Merge onto I 678

2.0 mi · 2 min · Whitestone Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 678

1.3 mi · 1 min · Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
9

Continue on I 678

0.8 mi · 1 min · Hutchinson River Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Exit 19S-W; 19N Toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 50 sec
Exit 19S-W Toward I 95 South, I 278 West: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan Use the slight left lane.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward I 95 South
13

Merge onto I 95

4.8 mi · 6 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · Trans-Manhattan Expressway
Toward Upper Level
15

Continue on I 95; US 1

0.6 mi · 59 sec · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
16

Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.5 mi · 48 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
17

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.6 mi · 39 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP

0.1 mi · 8 sec · I 95 EXPR; NJTP
19

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 72A Toward NJ 4 West: Paramus Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
21

Merge onto NJ 4

6.7 mi · 9 min · NJ 4
Use the slight right lane.
22

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward GSP South, NJ 17 South, GSP North, NJ 17 North: Grand State Plaza, Newark, Mahwah Use the straight lane.
23

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 36 sec
Toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24

Merge onto NJ 17

3.3 mi · 4 min · NJ 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25

Continue on NJ 17

7.3 mi · 9 min · NJ 17
Use the straight / right lanes.
26

Continue on NJ 17

0.7 mi · 50 sec · NJ 17
27

Continue on NJ 17

3.3 mi · 4 min · NJ 17
28

Continue on I 287; NY 17

0.2 mi · 10 sec · I 287; NY 17
29

Keep slight left at fork onto NY 17

112 mi · 2 hr 8 min · NY 17
Toward I 87 North, NY 17 North, New York State Thruway North: Albany Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 50 sec
Exit 23 Toward I 787, US 9W: Albany, Troy Use the slight right lane.
31

Continue on I 787

1.6 mi · 2 min · I 787
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
32

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Exit 4 Toward US 9 North, US 20 West: Downtown Albany Use the slight right lane.
33

Turn straight onto Quay Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Quay Street
34

Turn left onto NY 5

0.2 mi · 42 sec · NY 5
35

Turn left onto NY 5

0.3 mi · 51 sec · State Street
36

At end of road, turn right onto NY 5

182 ft · 5 sec · Eagle Street
37

Turn straight onto NY 5

498 ft · 19 sec · Washington Avenue
38

Turn left

30 ft · 2 sec
39

Arrive at 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 77.7 miles from Jamaica, NY, or about 1h 40m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 111.7 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 42m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 77.7 miles or 1h 40m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 37m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Albany, NY than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Jamaica, 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 Jamaica, NY

This is one driving day of about 155.4 miles and 3h 12m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Jamaica, 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.
The longest stretch is on NY 17 for about 111.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 77.7 mi from Jamaica, NY · 1h 40m into the drive

Downtown Ramapo, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ramapo, NY

78 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.

Popular next leg

Ramapo, NY to Albany, NY

115.6 mi · 1h 50m

Pacing Suggestions

Ramapo, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ramapo, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 77.7 miles from Jamaica, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before NY 17 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 111.7 miles.

Arriving in Albany, NY

The final approach into Albany, 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 Albany, 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

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...

2 mi from route ~5 min detour Free near mile 16.1
View on nps.gov
General Grant National Memorial

General Grant National Memorial

National Memorial

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...

3 mi from route ~7 min detour Free near mile 16.1
View on nps.gov
African Burial Ground National Monument

African Burial Ground National Monument

National Monument

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...

9 mi from route ~23 min detour Free near mile 5.4
View on nps.gov
Stonewall National Monument

Stonewall National Monument

National Monument

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...

9 mi from route ~21 min detour Free near mile 16.1
View on nps.gov
Castle Clinton National Monument

Castle Clinton National Monument

National Monument

Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, Castle Clinton marks the place where New York City began and reflects the growth of both the city and the nation. Built to defend the harbor during the War of...

10 mi from route ~25 min detour Free near mile 5.4
View on nps.gov
Federal Hall National Memorial

Federal Hall National Memorial

National Memorial

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...

10 mi from route ~24 min detour Free near mile 5.4
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$25.30 one way

$50.60 round trip

$4.14/gal 25.4 MPG avg 54 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.48 $27.42 $54.83
premium $4.88 $29.87 $59.75
diesel $5.64 $34.52 $69.05

Estimated Tolls: $22.55

George Washington Bridge $16.00
Whitestone Bridge $6.55

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

$25

Tolls

$23

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$73–$98

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 54.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $16 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 46.6 0 $16.32 $7.46
Efficient EV 38.9 0 $13.60 $6.22
EV Truck/SUV 62.2 0 $21.76 $9.95

Gas CO2

54 kg

EV CO2

18 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.

Forecast data refreshed 5 hours ago

Origin

Jamaica, NY

Afternoon in Jamaica on Monday

Local time

1:59 PM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Partly Sunny

SW 9 to 17 mph 9% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 13 at 12:55AM EDT until April 13 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 12:22AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Destination

Albany, NY

Afternoon in Albany on Monday

Local time

1:59 PM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Chance Rain Showers

SW 13 to 20 mph 54% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 13 at 12:55AM EDT until April 13 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 12:22AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Along the Route

40°F

Ramapo, NY

78 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

3h 12m 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 Jamaica, NY to Albany, NY covers 155.4 miles and takes about 3h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NY 17, NJ 17, NJ 4. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 77.7 miles from Jamaica, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $25.30 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 155.4 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 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Jamaica, NY and Albany, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack, Gsp South and Gsp North - among others.

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Return Trip

Albany, NY to Jamaica, NY

Plan the drive back the other way.

155.8 mi 3h 16m

Explore more options from Jamaica, NY or browse trips ending in Albany, NY.

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