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Trip from Plainedge, NY to Manhattan, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

54m

Distance

33.1 mi

53 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m

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

Downtown Plainedge, NY, NY

Plainedge, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Plainedge to Manhattan covers a compact 39.1-mile distance that typically takes about one hour to complete. Because this journey is well within a single day’s reach, you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or complicated logistics. Budgeting around $6 for fuel is sufficient for this trip, making it a very cost-effective commute within the Northeast. While the distance is short, the transition from the suburban atmosphere of Plainedge to the dense urban environment of Manhattan requires some mental preparation. This straightforward trip is perfectly suited as a quick day trip, offering you full flexibility to explore your destination without the stress of a long-haul drive.

About the Cities

Arriving 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

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 54m. Total distance: 33.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention as you navigate toward the city. Unlike a monotonous interstate grind, this route relies entirely on local roads, meaning you will experience zero highway miles along the way. The lack of long, uninterrupted stretches means the driving experience is quite active, with frequent turns and shifting traffic patterns. You will notice the character of the road change significantly as you move from the residential streets of Long Island into the complex grid of Manhattan. Be prepared for a hands-on driving experience where your focus remains constant throughout the entire 39.1-mile path.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 26 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 20.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Hicksville Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 27.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 33.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 27.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.2 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.9 miles (NY 25): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

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

8
27.7 mi into trip | ~40m 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
28.2 mi into trip | ~41m 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
30.9 mi into trip | ~47m 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
31.1 mi into trip | ~48m in | 3rd Avenue

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
31.7 mi into trip | ~50m in | East 72nd Street

Turn left onto East 72nd 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.

On the drive from Plainedge, NY to Manhattan, NY, road signs begin pointing toward 60Th Street West along the way.

60Th Street West

30.9 mi in | ~47m | via NY 25

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Long Island Expressway 20.4 mi 28m
Hicksville Road 2.2 mi 3m
South Broadway 2.2 mi 3m
North Broadway 1.2 mi 2m
North Marginal Road 1 mi 1m
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level 0.9 mi 2m
Queensboro Plaza 0.7 mi <1m
Madison Avenue 0.7 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Long Island Expressway — 20.4 mi, about 28m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Plainedge, NY and Manhattan, NY.

1

Start on Hicksville Road

410 ft · 23 sec · Hicksville Road
2

Continue on NY 107

2.2 mi · 3 min · Hicksville Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
3

Turn straight onto NY 107

2.2 mi · 3 min · South Broadway
4

Continue on NY 107

1.2 mi · 2 min · North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Turn left onto North Service Road

383 ft · 8 sec · North Service Road
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on North Marginal Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Marginal Road
7

Turn straight onto NY 25

423 ft · 6 sec · Jericho Turnpike
8

Turn slight right onto Store Hill Road

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Store Hill Road
9

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 30 sec
Toward I 495 West: New York
10

Merge onto I 495

20 mi · 28 min · Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

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.
12

Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard

80 ft · 2 sec · Laurel Hill Boulevard
13

Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14

Turn right onto Van Dam Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Van Dam Street
15

Continue on Van Dam Street

113 ft · 8 sec · Van Dam Street
16

Turn left onto NY 25

0.4 mi · 35 sec · Queens Boulevard
17

Continue on NY 25

0.7 mi · 57 sec · Queensboro Plaza
18

Continue on NY 25

0.9 mi · 2 min · Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level
19

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25

317 ft · 11 sec · NY 25
Toward 60th Street West Use the slight right lane.
20

Turn left onto East 60th Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · East 60th Street
21

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · 3rd Avenue
Use the right lane.
22

Turn left onto East 72nd Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · East 72nd Street
Use the left lane.
23

Turn right onto Madison Avenue

0.7 mi · 2 min · Madison Avenue
24

Turn left onto East 85th Street

507 ft · 12 sec · East 85th Street
25

Continue on 86th Street Transverse

0.4 mi · 1 min · 86th Street Transverse
Toward West Side
26

Arrive at destination

86th Street Transverse

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.6 mi from Plainedge, NY · 25m into the drive

Downtown North Hills, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

North Hills, NY

17 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

New York City, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Thomaston, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.6 miles from Plainedge, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Manhattan, NY

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Manhattan, NY if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.45 one way

$10.90 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $5.89 $11.78
premium $4.92 $6.42 $12.83
diesel $5.61 $7.31 $14.62

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.9 0 $3.48 $1.59
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.90 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.63 $2.12

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Plainedge, NY

Morning in Plainedge on Saturday

Local time

9:43 AM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Manhattan, NY

Morning in Manhattan on Saturday

Local time

9:43 AM

EDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

46°F

North Hills, NY

17 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

4 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

54m 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 Plainedge, NY to Manhattan, NY covers 33.1 miles and takes about 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Long Island Expressway, Hicksville Road, South Broadway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.6 miles from Plainedge, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.45 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 14 decision points packed into just 33.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.

The main spots that need attention: at 27.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.2 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.9 miles (NY 25): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Plainedge, NY to Manhattan, NY, road signs begin pointing toward 60Th Street West along the way.

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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