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Trip from Parkchester, 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

27m

Distance

13.8 mi

22 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 25m ★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m

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

Downtown Parkchester, NY, NY

Parkchester, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

borough in New York City, New York, United States

Queens, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Parkchester, NY to Queens, NY covers 13.8 miles and takes about 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Expressway, Liberty Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4.3 miles on Van Wyck Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.27 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Arriving in Queens, NY

Full guide →

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.

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 27m. Total distance: 13.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

27m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 27m highway drive covering 13.8 miles, with most of the trip on Van Wyck Expressway and Whitestone Expressway. The longest continuous stretch is about 4.3 miles on Van Wyck Expressway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Van Wyck Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 4.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Van Wyck Expressway and Whitestone Expressway. 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 Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road.

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 13 decision points packed into just 13.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.6 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

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

6
0.5 mi into trip | ~2m in | Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road

Enter roundabout onto Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

8
1.3 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens

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 6A Toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens
7
6.6 mi into trip | ~13m in | I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
8
10.9 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Exit 6 Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlanti...
9
11.1 mi into trip | ~20m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Parkchester, NY to Queens, NY, road signs begin pointing toward New Haven Connecticut along the way.

New Haven Connecticut

0.7 mi in | ~3m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Van Wyck Expressway 4.3 mi 6m
Whitestone Expressway 2.3 mi 3m
Liberty Avenue 1.5 mi 4m
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge 1.3 mi 2m
Van Wyck Expressway West 0.9 mi 2m
Hutchinson River Expressway 0.8 mi 1m
Cross Bronx Expressway 0.4 mi <1m
Metropolitan Avenue 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Van Wyck Expressway — 4.3 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Parkchester, NY and Queens, NY.

1

Start on Unionport Road

380 ft · 22 sec · Unionport Road
2

Continue on Unionport Road

479 ft · 28 sec · Unionport Road
3

Enter roundabout onto Metropolitan Avenue

128 ft · 5 sec · Metropolitan Avenue
4

Continue on Metropolitan Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · Metropolitan Avenue
5

Enter roundabout onto Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road
6

Continue on Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road

511 ft · 17 sec · Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road
7

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward I 95 North: Cross Bronx Expressway, New Haven Connecticut
8

Merge onto I 95

0.4 mi · 39 sec · Cross Bronx Expressway
9

Take the exit

0.9 mi · 2 min
Exit 6A Toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto I 678

0.8 mi · 1 min · Hutchinson River Expressway
11

Continue on I 678

1.3 mi · 2 min · Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
12

Continue on I 678

2.3 mi · 3 min · Whitestone Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto I 678

4.3 mi · 6 min · Van Wyck Expressway
Toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport Use the slight left lane.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 6 Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue Use the right lane.
15

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West

0.9 mi · 2 min · Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
17

Turn right onto Liberty Avenue

1.5 mi · 4 min · Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Turn left onto 104th Street

205 ft · 9 sec · 104th Street
19

Arrive at destination

104th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.27 one way

$4.54 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $2.46 $4.91
premium $4.92 $2.67 $5.35
diesel $5.61 $3.05 $6.09

Estimated Tolls: $6.55

Whitestone Bridge $6.55

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Tolls

$7

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.1 0 $1.45 $0.66
Efficient EV 3.5 0 $1.21 $0.55
EV Truck/SUV 5.5 0 $1.93 $0.88

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Parkchester, NY

Evening in Parkchester on Friday

Local time

8:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Queens, NY

Evening in Queens on Friday

Local time

8:26 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

27m 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 Parkchester, NY to Queens, NY covers 13.8 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Expressway, Liberty Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 6.9 miles from Parkchester, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.27 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 13 decision points packed into just 13.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.6 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Parkchester, NY to Queens, NY, road signs begin pointing toward New Haven Connecticut along the way.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and African Burial Ground 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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Explore More

Return Trip

Queens, NY to Parkchester, NY

Plan the drive back the other way.

14 mi 26m

Explore more options from Parkchester, NY or browse trips ending in Queens, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.