Origin
Manhattan, NY
Evening in Manhattan on Friday
Local time
5:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Manhattan, NY to Fort Wadsworth, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
19.2 mi
31 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Fort Wadsworth, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Manhattan, NY to Fort Wadsworth, NY is 19.2 miles and takes about 38 minutes via FDR Drive and Gowanus Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, straightforward trip stays within New York, moving from the bustling Northeast region of Manhattan to the Staten Island area. It's a practical drive designed for efficiency, making it ideal for a quick transit or a starting point for further exploration. You'll find it's a drive that prioritizes getting you to your destination with minimal fuss.
About the Cities
Starting in Manhattan, NY
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 19.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with about 30% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on the FDR Drive and Gowanus Expressway, which are main arteries. The longest continuous section you'll navigate is approximately 7 miles on the FDR Drive. Expect a dynamic feel as you transition from urban parkways to expressway conditions, requiring your attention throughout the relatively brief 38-minute travel time.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
FDR Drive is the longest continuous segment at about 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 0.6 miles in near East 79th Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 19.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (East 79th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (FDR / FDR Drive): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
East 79th Street
Turn left onto East 79th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
FDR / FDR Drive
Merge onto FDR / FDR Drive
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
8.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 2
Toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
6
15.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 278 / Gowanus Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Gowanus Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
18.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Fort Wadsworth, Bay Street
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 15N
Toward Fort Wadsworth, Bay Street
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Manhattan, NY and Fort Wadsworth, NY, road signs point toward Fdr Drive South and Brooklyn.
Fdr Drive South
1.6 mi in
|
~5m
Brooklyn
8.7 mi in
|
~19m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| FDR Drive | 7 mi | 13m |
| Gowanus Expressway | 5.3 mi | 7m |
| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East 79th Street | 1 mi | 3m |
| New York Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 86th Street Transverse | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| School Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 5th Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
FDR Drive
— 7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and Fort Wadsworth, NY.
1
Start on 86th Street Transverse
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
86th Street Transverse
2
Turn right onto 5th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Avenue
3
Turn left onto East 79th Street
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
East 79th Street
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
400 ft
·
10 sec
Toward FDR Drive South
5
Merge onto FDR
7.0 mi
·
13 min
·
FDR Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
2.4 mi
·
4 min
Exit 2
Toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on I 278
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Toward I 278: Staten Island
9
Continue on I 278
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
·
Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 278
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
12
Continue on I 278
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Staten Island Expressway
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 15N
Toward Fort Wadsworth, Bay Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on this road
521 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
Exit 15N
Toward Fort Wadsworth
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on School Road
0.3 mi
·
57 sec
·
School Road
16
Turn right onto Bay Street
321 ft
·
10 sec
·
Bay Street
17
Continue on New York Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
New York Avenue
18
At end of road, turn right onto Battery Road
193 ft
·
8 sec
·
Battery Road
19
Arrive at destination
Battery Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.16 one way
$6.32 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.42 | $6.83 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.72 | $7.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.24 | $8.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Fort Wadsworth, NY
Evening in Fort Wadsworth on Friday
Local time
5:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
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
2 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
38m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Manhattan, NY to Fort Wadsworth, NY covers 19.2 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are FDR Drive, Gowanus Expressway, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.6 miles from Manhattan, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.16 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 11 decision points packed into just 19.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (East 79th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (FDR / FDR Drive): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Manhattan, NY and Fort Wadsworth, NY, road signs point toward Fdr Drive South and Brooklyn.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Castle Clinton National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and Governors Island 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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