Origin
Manhattan, NY
Morning in Manhattan on Saturday
Local time
11:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Manhattan, NY to Queens, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
12.6 mi
20 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Manhattan to Queens covers a short 12.6-mile distance that typically takes around 30 minutes to complete. Because this journey is entirely contained within the Northeast, you won't experience major regional shifts, but you will navigate a mix of urban environments. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays or complex planning. With a fuel cost of just $2, it is a highly economical way to cross between these two iconic New York boroughs. Expect a straightforward drive that prioritizes efficiency over leisure, making it a practical choice for your daily commute or a quick visit to friends.
About the Cities
Starting in Manhattan, NY
Full guide →Founded 1624
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.
Top landmarks
- • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA
Arriving in Queens, NY
Full guide →Founded 1683
Queens is a crescent-shaped (with a tail) borough traversing the north-to-south width of Long Island and including two of the major New York City area airports, LaGuardia (LGA IATA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK IATA). It also carries the largest ethnic diversity in its area of any region in the world, with many small enclaves. Jackson Heights, for example, includes a huge Indian area, followed by a Colombian area, and then a Mexican area. Each offers a wide array of authentic shops, native-style cuisine, and festivals modified only slightly by the generally colder New York City experience.
Top landmarks
- • Queensboro Bridge — bridge in New York City
- • Unisphere — Steel structure in Queens, New York
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 30m. Total distance: 12.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This trip features a mixed-drive profile that blends local roads with larger thoroughfares. You will navigate via the Long Island Expressway, NY 25, and Woodhaven Boulevard, which accounts for your longest uninterrupted stretch of 3.9 miles. Highway travel makes up 31% of the total distance, meaning you will spend the majority of your time transitioning between different types of road infrastructure. The character of the drive shifts as you move off major arteries and onto local streets, requiring you to stay alert to changing traffic patterns. It is a functional, urban experience rather than a scenic getaway.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Woodhaven Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 3.9 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 1.5 miles in near 2nd Avenue.
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 15 decision points packed into just 12.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (2nd Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (NY 25): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
2nd Avenue
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
2.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
NY 25
Take the ramp onto NY 25 toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway
7
7.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward NY 25: Woodhaven Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19
Toward NY 25: Woodhaven Boulevard
8
7.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NY 25: Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward NY 25: Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boule...
8
8.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways
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 Queens, NY, road signs point toward Lower Roadway, Eastern Long Island and Rockaways.
Lower Roadway
2.1 mi in
|
~7m
|
via NY 25
Eastern Long Island
4.8 mi in
|
~12m
|
via Borden Avenue
Rockaways
7.7 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Woodhaven Boulevard | 3.9 mi | 10m |
| Long Island Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
| NY 25 | 2 mi | 3m |
| Borden Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| 5th Avenue | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| Van Dam Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East 72nd Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Woodhaven Boulevard
— 3.9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and Queens, NY.
1
Start on 86th Street Transverse
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
86th Street Transverse
2
Turn right onto 5th Avenue
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
5th Avenue
3
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 72nd Street
4
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
2nd Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the ramp onto NY 25
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
NY 25
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway
Use the left lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
·
NY 25
Toward NY 25A, NY 25
7
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Dam Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto Borden Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Borden Avenue
9
Take the ramp onto Borden Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Borden Avenue
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
10
Merge onto I 495
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Long Island Expressway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 19
Toward NY 25: Woodhaven Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Toward NY 25: Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Toward Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Woodhaven Boulevard
3.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Woodhaven Boulevard
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto Rockaway Boulevard
344 ft
·
9 sec
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Turn slight left onto Liberty Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Liberty Avenue
17
Turn right onto 104th Street
205 ft
·
9 sec
·
104th Street
18
Arrive at destination
104th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.07 one way
$4.15 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.24 | $4.49 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.44 | $4.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.78 | $5.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.10 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Queens, NY
Morning in Queens on Saturday
Local time
11:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Mostly 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
6 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
30m 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 Manhattan, NY to Queens, NY covers 12.6 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Woodhaven Boulevard, Long Island Expressway, NY 25. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.3 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 $2.07 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 15 decision points packed into just 12.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (2nd Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (NY 25): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Manhattan, NY and Queens, NY, road signs point toward Lower Roadway, Eastern Long Island and Rockaways.
Yes. Nearby national parks include General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange 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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