Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
28.1 mi
45 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Barnum Island, NY
Wikimedia Commons
If you are looking to escape Manhattan for Barnum Island, this 28.1-mile journey is a straightforward trip that typically takes about 50 minutes. Because of the manageable distance, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion without the need for an overnight stay. You will navigate through the Northeast region using a combination of city streets, including 5th Avenue, East 72nd Street, and 2nd Avenue. Budgeting roughly $4 for fuel makes this an economical choice for a quick getaway. While the drive is short, the local nature of the roads means you should plan for a steady pace rather than high-speed travel.
Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 28.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Expect a turn-heavy, local experience rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this entire route features zero highway travel. You will spend the duration navigating urban corridors, meaning there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of road to settle into. The route relies exclusively on city streets, placing the focus on frequent turns and local navigation. Behind the wheel, you will feel the shift from the dense grid of Manhattan as you work your way toward your destination. This is a technical, low-speed drive that requires your full attention to street navigation throughout the entire 28.1-mile span.
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 1.5 miles in near 2nd Avenue.
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 24 decision points packed into just 28.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (2nd Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 27 East: Eastern Long Island, Belt Parkway East, South Conduit Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NY 27: Sunrise Highway, Brookville Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Manhattan, NY and Barnum Island, NY, road signs point toward Lower Roadway, Eastern Long Island, Grand Central Parkway East, Kennedy Airport, Terminals 7 8 and Belt Parkway East.
Lower Roadway
Eastern Long Island
Grand Central Parkway East
Kennedy Airport
Terminals 7 8
Belt Parkway East
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Long Island Expressway | 4 mi | 6m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Long Beach Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Belt Parkway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| NY 25 | 2 mi | 3m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| South Conduit Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and Barnum Island, NY.
Start on 86th Street Transverse
Turn right onto 5th Avenue
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
Take the ramp onto NY 25
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
Turn left onto Borden Avenue
Take the ramp onto Borden Avenue
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Take the ramp
Merge onto GCP
Take the exit
Merge onto I 678
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on this road
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto BP
Take the exit
Continue on NY 27
Continue on NY 27
Turn right onto North Centre Avenue
Continue on Lincoln Avenue
Turn slight right onto Long Beach Road
Continue on Long Beach Road
Continue on Long Beach Road
Continue on Austin Boulevard
Turn left onto Audubon Boulevard
Turn left onto Beachview Avenue
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$4.63 one way
$9.25 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| premium | $4.92 | $5.45 | $10.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.20 | $12.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Manhattan on Friday
Local time
8:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Scattered Rain Showers
Destination
Evening in Barnum Island on Friday
Local time
8:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
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
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.
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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