Skip to main content

Trip from Sea Cliff, 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

47m

Distance

26.7 mi

43 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m

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

village in Nassau County, New York, United States

Sea Cliff, NY

Wikimedia Commons

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Sea Cliff to Manhattan covers a short 29.6-mile distance, typically taking about 55 minutes to complete. Because this is a compact trip within the Northeast region, you can easily handle it as a straightforward day trip without needing an overnight stay. With fuel costs estimated at just $5, it is an economical commute between the North Shore of Long Island and the city center. The route functions as a direct connection rather than a long-haul excursion, making it ideal for those looking to reach the heart of the city quickly. You won't need to plan for any scheduled stops along the way, allowing for a focused and efficient journey.

About the Cities

Arriving in Manhattan, NY

Full guide →

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.

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 47m. Total distance: 26.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy, local driving experience that stays entirely off major highways. With a 0% highway share, you will navigate through local roads rather than high-speed lanes. This profile creates a more technical environment behind the wheel, requiring your full attention as you transition from the suburban feel of Sea Cliff into the dense urban grid of Manhattan. Because there is no single long-distance stretch, the drive consists of continuous navigation through neighborhood and city streets. You should prepare for a steady, hands-on pace that demands constant awareness of your surroundings.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 30 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 14.7 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

253 ft 15 ft

Total Climb

415 ft

Total Descent

492 ft

Highest Point

253 ft

~5.7 mi in

Elevation Range

239 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.4 miles in near North Service Road.

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 20 decision points packed into just 26.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 6.4 miles (North Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.8 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 20 key points

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

6
6.4 mi into trip | ~12m in | North Service Road

Turn right onto North Service Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
8
21.3 mi into trip | ~33m 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
21.8 mi into trip | ~34m 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
24.5 mi into trip | ~40m 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
24.7 mi into trip | ~41m in | 3rd Avenue

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right 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 Sea Cliff, NY to Manhattan, NY, road signs begin pointing toward 60Th Street West along the way.

60Th Street West

24.5 mi in | ~40m | via NY 25

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Long Island Expressway 14.7 mi 20m
Northern Boulevard 1.4 mi 2m
Searingtown Road 1.2 mi 2m
Bryant Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level 0.9 mi 2m
Shore Road 0.8 mi 1m
Prospect Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Queensboro Plaza 0.7 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Long Island Expressway — 14.7 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Roslyn Avenue

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Roslyn Avenue
2

Turn right onto Glen Avenue

0.4 mi · 59 sec · Glen Avenue
3

Turn straight onto Prospect Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Prospect Avenue
4

Continue on Shore Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Shore Road
5

Continue on Scudders Lane

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Scudders Lane
6

Turn right onto Glenwood Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Glenwood Road
7

At end of road, turn right onto Bryant Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · Bryant Avenue
8

Turn left onto Wittes Lane

238 ft · 12 sec · Wittes Lane
9

Turn right

126 ft · 5 sec
10

Turn right onto NY 25A

1.4 mi · 2 min · Northern Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
11

Turn left onto Searingtown Road

1.2 mi · 2 min · Searingtown Road
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto North Service Road

0.1 mi · 14 sec · North Service Road
Use the right lane.
13

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward I 495 West: New York
14

Merge onto I 495

15 mi · 20 min · Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

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.
16

Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard

80 ft · 2 sec · Laurel Hill Boulevard
17

Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
18

Turn right onto Van Dam Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Van Dam Street
19

Continue on Van Dam Street

113 ft · 8 sec · Van Dam Street
20

Turn left onto NY 25

0.4 mi · 35 sec · Queens Boulevard
21

Continue on NY 25

0.7 mi · 57 sec · Queensboro Plaza
22

Continue on NY 25

0.9 mi · 2 min · Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level
23

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25

317 ft · 11 sec · NY 25
Toward 60th Street West Use the slight right lane.
24

Turn left onto East 60th Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · East 60th Street
25

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · 3rd Avenue
Use the right lane.
26

Turn left onto East 72nd Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · East 72nd Street
Use the left lane.
27

Turn right onto Madison Avenue

0.7 mi · 2 min · Madison Avenue
28

Turn left onto East 85th Street

507 ft · 12 sec · East 85th Street
29

Continue on 86th Street Transverse

0.4 mi · 1 min · 86th Street Transverse
Toward West Side
30

Arrive at destination

86th Street Transverse

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.39 one way

$8.79 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $4.75 $9.50
premium $4.92 $5.17 $10.35
diesel $5.61 $5.90 $11.79

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 $2.80 $1.28
Efficient EV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07
EV Truck/SUV 10.7 0 $3.74 $1.71

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Sea Cliff, NY

Late night in Sea Cliff on Saturday

Local time

4:19 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Manhattan, NY

Late night in Manhattan on Saturday

Local time

4:19 AM

EDT

Current temp

49°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

47m 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 Sea Cliff, NY to Manhattan, NY covers 26.7 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Long Island Expressway, Northern Boulevard, Searingtown Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 13.4 miles from Sea Cliff, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.39 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 20 decision points packed into just 26.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

The main spots that need attention: at 6.4 miles (North Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.8 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 15 ft to 253 ft elevation with about 415 ft of total climbing.

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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Sea Cliff, NY or browse trips ending in Manhattan, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.