Drive Time
8h 5m
Distance
384.3 mi
618 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$63
one way
Photo: Renan Tagliaferro
The drive from Jamaica, NY to Amherst, NY covers 384.3 miles and takes about 8h 5m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Pinegrove Street, Liberty Avenue, Van Wyck Expressway East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $62.56 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
192.2 miles from Jamaica, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 2m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 5m drive with frequent turns across 384.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 5m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Jamaica, NY to Amherst, NY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pinegrove Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Liberty Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Van Wyck Expressway East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 678 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Van Wyck Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 495 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Long Island Expressway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 278 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and Amherst, NY.
Start on Tuskegee Airmen Way
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
At the end of the road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway East
Take the ramp slight left toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge, Bronx
Merge slight left onto Van Wyck Expressway
Take the exit slight right toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
Merge slight left onto Long Island Expressway
Take the exit slight right toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Keep slight left to continue on I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel, Manhattan
Merge slight left onto Long Island Expressway
Keep slight right to continue on Queens-Midtown Tunnel
Keep slight left to continue on Crosstown, 37th Street
Turn slight left onto East 37th Street
Take the ramp left toward Lincoln Tunnel
Turn right
Merge slight right onto Lincoln Tunnel Expressway
Keep slight right to continue on Lincoln Tunnel Expressway
Take the exit slight right toward NJ 3 West: Secaucus
Keep slight left to continue on NJ 3 West: Clifton
Merge slight left
Merge slight right
Take the exit slight left toward I 80 West: Dover, Del Water Gap
Continue on Interstate 80 West
Take the exit slight left toward I 80 West: Delaware Water Gap
Merge slight left onto Christopher Columbus Highway
Keep slight left to continue on Keystone Shortway
Keep slight left to continue on Keystone Shortway
Take the exit slight right toward I 380 North: Scranton
Continue straight
Merge slight right
Keep slight right to continue on I 81 North: Syracuse, Albany
Keep slight left to continue on I 81 North: Syracuse
Take the exit slight right toward NY 13: Cortland
Turn right onto Clinton Avenue
Turn left onto Locust Avenue
Continue on Albany Street
At the end of the road, turn right onto South Main Street
Turn left onto Clinton Street
Continue on East Lake Road
Continue on State Route 41
Continue on East Lake Road
Continue on East Lake Street
Turn left onto East Genesee Street
Turn right onto North Fulton Street
Turn left onto Arterial West
Continue on Chase Street
Continue on Auburn Road
Turn right
Continue straight
Turn right onto State Route 414
Continue on Ridge Road
Take the ramp left
Keep slight left to continue on I 90 West: Buffalo
Merge slight left onto New York State Thruway
Take the exit slight right toward I 290: Niagara Falls
Continue on Youngmann Expressway
Take the exit slight right toward NY 324, NY 240: Sheridan Drive, Harlem Road
Turn left onto Sheridan Drive
Turn left onto Millersport Highway
Arrive at your destination
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.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 85 miles or 1h 47m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 192.2 miles or 4h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 192.2 miles or 4h 2m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 49m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Amherst, NY than in the middle of the route.
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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Jamaica, NY
Aim for roughly 192 miles and 4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Amherst, NY
Aim for roughly 192 miles and 4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 192.2 mi from Jamaica, NY · 4h 2m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
192 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Ramapo, NYNight 1
192 mi · about 4h in
A practical overnight split lands near Ramapo, NY after about 192 miles or 4 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 85 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 192.2 miles from Jamaica, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 192 miles or 4 hours on the road.
The final approach into Amherst, 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 Amherst, NY.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Amherst, NY with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$62.56 one way
$125.12 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.48 | $67.80 | $135.59 |
| premium | $4.88 | $73.88 | $147.76 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $85.38 | $170.76 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.55
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
$63
Tolls
$23
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$215–$325
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 134.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 115.3 | 1 | $40.35 | $18.45 |
| Efficient EV | 96.1 | 1 | $33.63 | $15.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 153.7 | 1 | $53.80 | $24.60 |
Gas CO2
134 kg
EV CO2
45 kg (66% 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Afternoon in Jamaica on Saturday
Local time
3:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Afternoon in Amherst on Saturday
Local time
3:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
59°F
Ramapo, NY
192 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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Jamaica, NY or browse trips ending in Amherst, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.
Explore maps for Jamaica, NY or Amherst, NY on MapSof.net.
