Origin
Medford, NY
Night in Medford on Thursday
Local time
11:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Medford, NY to Manhattan, NY
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
57 mi
92 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 18m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Medford, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Medford, NY to Manhattan, NY covers 57 miles and takes about 1h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Long Island Expressway, Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level, Queensboro Plaza for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 50.6 miles on Long Island Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.38 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 57 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 24m highway drive covering 57 miles, with most of the trip on Long Island Expressway and Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level. The longest continuous stretch is about 50.6 miles on Long Island Expressway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 21 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 50.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level. 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
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57 miles you will encounter 14 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 51.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.1 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 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
51.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
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 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point...
6
52.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
|
Hunters Point Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
54.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
|
NY 25
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25 toward 60th Street West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 60th Street West
6
55 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
3rd Avenue
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 50.6 mi | 1h 8m |
| Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Queensboro Plaza | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Madison Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| 3rd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Route 112 | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Hunters Point Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Van Dam Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 50.6 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Medford, NY and Manhattan, 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
51 mi
·
1 hr 8 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard
80 ft
·
2 sec
·
Laurel Hill Boulevard
8
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Dam Street
10
Continue on Van Dam Street
113 ft
·
8 sec
·
Van Dam Street
11
Turn left onto NY 25
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Queens Boulevard
12
Continue on NY 25
0.7 mi
·
57 sec
·
Queensboro Plaza
13
Continue on NY 25
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level
14
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25
317 ft
·
11 sec
·
NY 25
Toward 60th Street West
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn left onto East 60th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
East 60th Street
16
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
3rd Avenue
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East 72nd Street
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto Madison Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Madison Avenue
19
Turn left onto East 85th Street
507 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 85th Street
20
Continue on 86th Street Transverse
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
86th Street Transverse
Toward West Side
21
Arrive at destination
86th Street Transverse
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 28.5 mi from Medford, NY · 39m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.5 miles from Medford, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Manhattan, NY
The final approach into Manhattan, 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
$9.38 one way
$18.77 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $10.15 | $20.29 |
| premium | $4.92 | $11.05 | $22.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.58 | $25.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.98 | $2.74 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $4.99 | $2.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.8 | 0 | $7.98 | $3.65 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Manhattan, NY
Night in Manhattan on Thursday
Local time
11:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
North Hills, NY
29 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
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
1h 24m 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 Manhattan, NY covers 57 miles and takes about 1h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Long Island Expressway, Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level, Queensboro Plaza. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 28.5 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 $9.38 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 57 miles you will encounter 14 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 51.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.1 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Medford, NY to Manhattan, NY does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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.
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