Origin
Medford, NY
Late night in Medford on Saturday
Local time
1:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Medford, NY to Astoria, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
53.4 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Medford, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Astoria, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Medford, NY to Astoria, NY is 53.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 16 minutes via the Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region of Long Island towards the urban landscape of Queens. It's a straightforward trip primarily on major highways, making it a convenient option for a quick transit or a day trip. Given its short duration and highway focus, it’s best suited for those looking for efficiency rather than a leisurely scenic tour.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 53.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route is heavily highway-focused, with 96% of the drive utilizing major expressways. You'll spend a significant amount of time on the Long Island Expressway, including a stretch of 45.8 miles without interruption. Expect a fast-paced experience with minimal deviations from this primary artery for most of the journey. The character of the drive shifts as you approach your destination, transitioning from suburban parkways to more urban parkway environments.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Long Island Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 45.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Grand Central Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Express Drive North.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.4 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Express Drive North): Lane positioning matters here; at 46.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 47.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Express Drive North
Turn left onto Express Drive North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
46.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward Grand Central Parkway, 108th Street, Citi Field
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22A
Toward Grand Central Parkway, 108th Street, Cit...
6
47.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
Take the ramp toward Grand Central Parkway West, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Grand Central Parkway West, Robert F. Ke...
7
52.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward 31st Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 45
Toward 31st Street
7
52.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
|
31st Street
Turn left onto 31st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Medford, NY and Astoria, NY, road signs point toward Citi Field and Grand Central Parkway West.
Citi Field
46.9 mi in
|
~1h 3m
Grand Central Parkway West
47.1 mi in
|
~1h 4m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 45.8 mi | 1h 1m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 4.7 mi | 7m |
| Route 112 | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Astoria Boulevard South | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Express Drive North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 30th Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 21st Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 12th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 45.8 mi, about 1h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Medford, NY and Astoria, NY.
1
Start on Long Island Avenue
84 ft
·
9 sec
·
Long Island Avenue
2
Turn left onto NY 112
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 112
3
Turn left onto Express Drive North
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Express Drive North
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 495 WEST: New York
5
Merge onto I 495
46 mi
·
1 hr 1 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 22A
Toward Grand Central Parkway, 108th Street, Citi Field
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto Horace Harding Expressway
328 ft
·
6 sec
·
Horace Harding Expressway
8
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward Grand Central Parkway West, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto GCP
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Grand Central Parkway
10
Keep slight left at fork onto GCP
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto GCP
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 45
Toward 31st Street
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto 31st Street
328 ft
·
15 sec
·
31st Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Astoria Boulevard South
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Astoria Boulevard South
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto 21st Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
21st Street
16
Turn right onto 30th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
30th Avenue
17
Turn sharp right onto 12th Street
386 ft
·
18 sec
·
12th Street
18
Arrive at destination
12th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.7 mi from Medford, NY · 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Medford, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Astoria, NY
The final approach into Astoria, NY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.79 one way
$17.58 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $9.50 | $19.01 |
| premium | $4.92 | $10.35 | $20.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.79 | $23.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16 | 0 | $5.61 | $2.56 |
| Efficient EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.67 | $2.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.48 | $3.42 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Astoria, NY
Late night in Astoria on Saturday
Local time
1:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
North Hills, NY
27 mi in
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
16 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
1h 16m 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 Medford, NY to Astoria, NY covers 53.4 miles and takes about 1h 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Long Island Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, Route 112. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.7 miles from Medford, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.79 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.4 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Express Drive North): Lane positioning matters here; at 46.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 47.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Medford, NY and Astoria, NY, road signs point toward Citi Field and Grand Central Parkway West.
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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