Origin
Queens, NY
Late night in Queens on Saturday
Local time
1:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Queens, NY to Chelsea, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
26.6 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Chelsea, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
This 26.6-mile drive from Queens, NY, to Chelsea, NY, is a quick trip, estimated to take around 44 minutes. It's primarily a highway-focused experience, with 81% of the route on major roadways, making it ideal for a single day trip. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is about $4, which is quite economical. You'll be navigating through the Northeast region, staying within New York State for the entire duration. Given its short length and highway nature, this route is perfect for a straightforward commute or a quick transfer without needing an overnight stay.
About the Cities
Starting 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 44m. Total distance: 26.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this 26.6-mile journey. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on the Belt Parkway and Staten Island Expressway, with 81% of the route consisting of highway driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.8 miles on the Belt Parkway, offering a consistent pace. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is a key feature of this drive, connecting the boroughs. This route is designed for efficient travel, prioritizing speed and directness over leisurely sightseeing.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Belt Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Belt Parkway and Staten Island Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Rockaway Boulevard.
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 26.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Rockaway Boulevard): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 15.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Rockaway Boulevard
Turn sharp right onto Rockaway Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
8
15.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 278 West: Verrazano Bridge, Staten Island
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 3
Toward I 278 West: Verrazano Bridge, Staten Isl...
7
16.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Lower Level
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Lower Level
6
24.4 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
NY 440 / West Shore Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 440 / West Shore Expressway toward NY 440 South: Outerbridge Crossing
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 5
Toward NY 440 South: Outerbridge Crossing
7
25.7 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward South Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8
Toward South Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Queens, NY and Chelsea, NY, road signs point toward Belt Parkway West, Staten Island and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Lower Level.
Belt Parkway West
1.6 mi in
|
~3m
|
via Shore Parkway
Staten Island
15.6 mi in
|
~25m
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Lower Level
16.2 mi in
|
~26m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Belt Parkway | 13.8 mi | 20m |
| Staten Island Expressway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Shore Expressway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Cross Bay Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Rockaway Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| 104th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Belt Parkway
— 13.8 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Queens, NY and Chelsea, NY.
1
Start on 104th Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
104th Street
2
Turn sharp right onto Rockaway Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Rockaway Boulevard
3
Turn left onto Cross Bay Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Cross Bay Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Turn slight right onto Shore Parkway
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Shore Parkway
Toward Belt Parkway West, Verrazano Bridge
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Belt Parkway West, Verrazano Bridge
6
Merge onto BP
14 mi
·
20 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 3
Toward I 278 West: Verrazano Bridge, Staten Island
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Lower Level
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 278
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Gowanus Expressway
10
Continue on I 278
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
11
Continue on I 278
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Staten Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 440
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
West Shore Expressway
Exit 5
Toward NY 440 South: Outerbridge Crossing
13
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8
Toward South Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn left onto Chelsea Road
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Chelsea Road
15
Turn right onto South Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Avenue
16
Turn left onto Meredith Avenue
43 ft
·
1 sec
·
Meredith Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Meredith Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.76 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $4.73 | $9.47 |
| premium | $4.92 | $5.16 | $10.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.87 | $11.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 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 | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Chelsea, NY
Late night in Chelsea on Saturday
Local time
1:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
1 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
44m 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 Queens, NY to Chelsea, NY covers 26.6 miles and takes about 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Belt Parkway, Staten Island Expressway, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.3 miles from Queens, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.38 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 is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 26.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Rockaway Boulevard): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 15.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Queens, NY and Chelsea, NY, road signs point toward Belt Parkway West, Staten Island and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Lower Level.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Gateway National Recreation Area, Statue Of Liberty National Monument and Castle Clinton 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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