Trip from Massena, NY to Washington Heights, NY

Drive Time

7h 36m

Distance

353.5 mi

569 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$58

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
7h 26m ★
6 AM
7h 36m
8 AM
7h 56m
10 AM
7h 43m
12 PM
7h 41m
3 PM
7h 44m
5 PM
7h 55m
8 PM
7h 30m

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

Downtown Massena, NY, NY

Massena, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

Downtown Washington Heights, NY, NY

Washington Heights, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

Trip Overview

The drive from Massena, NY to Washington Heights, NY covers 353.5 miles and takes about 7h 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 87, Adirondack Northway, Santa Clara Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 118.6 miles on I 87. At current regular gas prices, budget about $57.55 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

176.7 miles from Massena, NY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 4m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from Massena, NY to Washington Heights, NY covers 353.5 miles and takes about 7h 36m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 48 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 87 is the longest continuous segment at about 118.6 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 209.5 miles in near I 87.

Route Complexity 9/10

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

This is a demanding drive. With 30 significant decision points across 353.5 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 209.5 miles (I 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 328.1 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 329.4 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 30 key points

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

9
209.5 mi into trip | ~4h 42m in | I 87

Keep slight right at fork onto I 87 toward I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New York, Buffalo

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 1E-W Toward I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New Yo...
9
328.1 mi into trip | ~7h in | NY 17

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17 toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 15 Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
8
329.4 mi into trip | ~7h 2m in | NJ 17

Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17 toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Exit 66 Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
8
352.9 mi into trip | ~7h 34m in | US 9

Take the exit onto US 9 toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th 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 1A Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th...
8
353.1 mi into trip | ~7h 35m in | US 9

Keep slight left at fork onto US 9 toward West 178th Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward West 178th Street

Towns Along This Route

Between Massena, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Albany, New York and Buffalo.

Albany

209.5 mi in | ~4h 42m | via I 87

New York

209.5 mi in | ~4h 42m | via I 87

Buffalo

209.5 mi in | ~4h 42m | via I 87

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 87 118.6 mi 2h 17m
Adirondack Northway 103.7 mi 2h 1m
Santa Clara Road 20.9 mi 31m
State Highway 73 18.7 mi 27m
NJ 17 14.1 mi 18m
Main Street 10.9 mi 16m
Adirondack Trail 8.9 mi 12m
NJ 4 6.7 mi 9m
Longest stretch: I 87 — 118.6 mi, about 2h 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Massena, NY and Washington Heights, NY.

1

Start on Main Street

11 mi · 16 min · Main Street
2

At the end of the road, turn right onto State Highway 11C

0.1 mi · 18 sec · State Highway 11C
3

Turn left onto State Highway 420

1.3 mi · 2 min · State Highway 420
4

Continue on Hopkinton-Winthrop Road

5.9 mi · 10 min · Hopkinton-Winthrop Road
5

At the end of the road, turn right onto County Road 49

0.2 mi · 22 sec · County Road 49
6

At the end of the road, turn left onto County Road 49

1.3 mi · 2 min · County Road 49
7

At the end of the road, turn left

2.0 mi · 2 min
8

Turn right onto State Highway 458

3.5 mi · 5 min · State Highway 458
9

Turn slight right onto Santa Clara Road

4.0 mi · 6 min · Santa Clara Road
10

At the end of the road, turn right onto Santa Clara Road

17 mi · 25 min · Santa Clara Road
11

At the end of the road, turn right onto Adirondack Trail

8.9 mi · 12 min · Adirondack Trail
12

Turn left onto Easy Street

3.7 mi · 5 min · Easy Street
13

Continue on State Highway 86

1.9 mi · 2 min · State Highway 86
14

Continue on Harrietstown Road

2.8 mi · 4 min · Harrietstown Road
15

Continue on State Highway 86

3.0 mi · 4 min · State Highway 86
16

Continue on Broadway Street

0.5 mi · 56 sec · Broadway Street
17

Turn left onto Bloomingdale Avenue

492 ft · 12 sec · Bloomingdale Avenue
18

Turn right onto Church Street

0.4 mi · 50 sec · Church Street
19

At the end of the road, turn left onto River Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · River Street
20

Keep slight right to continue on River Street

305 ft · 9 sec · River Street
21

Turn slight right onto Lake Flower Avenue

1.1 mi · 2 min · Lake Flower Avenue
22

Continue on Saranac-Placid Road

4.9 mi · 7 min · Saranac-Placid Road
23

Turn right onto Old Military Road

3.6 mi · 6 min · Old Military Road
24

Turn straight onto Cascade Road

5.3 mi · 7 min · Cascade Road
25

Continue on State Highway 73

7.2 mi · 10 min · State Highway 73
26

Turn straight onto State Highway 9N

1.8 mi · 3 min · State Highway 9N
27

Continue on State Highway 73

11 mi · 16 min · State Highway 73
28

Turn straight

2.1 mi · 2 min
29

Take the ramp right toward I 87 South

0.3 mi · 33 sec · I 87 South
30

Merge slight left onto Adirondack Northway

104 mi · 2 hr 1 min · Adirondack Northway
31

Keep slight right to continue on I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New York, Buffalo

0.3 mi · 32 sec · I 87 South, I 90: Boston, Albany, New York, Buffalo
32

Continue on I 87 South, I 90 West: New York, Buffalo

0.5 mi · 51 sec · I 87 South, I 90 West: New York, Buffalo
33

Keep slight right to continue on I 87 South: New York

118 mi · 2 hr 16 min · I 87 South: New York
34

Keep slight right to continue on I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey

0.9 mi · 1 min · I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
35

Continue straight

0.5 mi · 39 sec
36

Keep slight left to continue on NJ 17 South: Mahwah

14 mi · 18 min · NJ 17 South: Mahwah
37

Take the exit slight right toward NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York

0.1 mi · 19 sec · NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York
38

Keep slight left to continue on NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York

0.5 mi · 1 min · NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York
39

Merge slight left

0.3 mi · 24 sec
40

Continue straight

6.4 mi · 8 min
41

Take the exit slight left toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge

0.2 mi · 18 sec · I 95 North: George Washington Bridge
42

Merge slight left

0.7 mi · 55 sec
43

Keep slight left

0.8 mi · 1 min
44

Continue on George Washington Bridge (upper level)

0.5 mi · 45 sec · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
45

Take the exit slight right toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th Street

0.1 mi · 14 sec · NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th Street
46

Keep slight left to continue on West 178th Street

0.2 mi · 43 sec · West 178th Street
47

Turn left onto Broadway

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Broadway
48

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 176.7 miles from Massena, NY, or about 4h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 118.6 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 2h 3m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 176.7 miles or 4h 4m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 6h 20m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Massena, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Massena, NY

This is one driving day of about 353.5 miles and 7h 36m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Massena, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 87 for about 118.6 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 176.7 mi from Massena, NY · 4h 4m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Albany, NY

177 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Rome, NY

Fuel and coffee

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

Schenectady, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 176.7 miles from Massena, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 87 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 118.6 miles.

Arriving in Washington Heights, NY

The final approach into Washington Heights, 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 Washington Heights, 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 ~6 min detour Free near mile 353.5
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 353.5
View on nps.gov
Saratoga National Historical Park

Saratoga National Historical Park

National Historical Park

In 1777, a large British invasion force met an equally large American army here at Saratoga. After two intense battles, an eight-mile retreat, and a three-day siege, British General John Burgoyne surr...

8 mi from route ~20 min detour Free near mile 182.8
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 ~22 min detour Free near mile 353.5
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...

10 mi from route ~25 min detour Free near mile 353.5
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...

11 mi from route ~27 min detour Free near mile 353.5
View on nps.gov

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$57.55 one way

$115.10 round trip

$4.14/gal 25.4 MPG avg 124 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.48 $62.36 $124.73
premium $4.88 $67.96 $135.92
diesel $5.64 $78.54 $157.07

Estimated Tolls: $16.00

George Washington Bridge $16.00

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

$58

Tolls

$16

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$99–$124

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 123.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $37 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 106.1 1 $37.12 $16.97
Efficient EV 88.4 1 $30.93 $14.14
EV Truck/SUV 141.4 1 $49.49 $22.62

Gas CO2

124 kg

EV CO2

41 kg (67% 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.

Forecast data refreshed 4 hours ago

Origin

Massena, NY

Morning in Massena on Monday

Local time

8:22 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Washington Heights, NY

Morning in Washington Heights on Monday

Local time

8:22 AM

EDT

Current temp

49°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 8 mph 4% 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

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

7 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

7h 36m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Massena, NY to Washington Heights, NY covers 353.5 miles and takes about 7h 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 87, Adirondack Northway, Santa Clara Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 176.7 miles from Massena, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $57.55 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 30 significant decision points across 353.5 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 209.5 miles (I 87): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 328.1 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 329.4 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Massena, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Albany, New York and Buffalo.

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