Skip to main content

Trip from Thiells, NY to Jamaica, NY

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

Drive Time

1h 9m

Distance

45.9 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 4m ★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m

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

Downtown Thiells, NY, NY

Thiells, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

neighborhood of Queens, New York City, United States

Jamaica, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Thiells to Jamaica, NY is 45.9 miles and takes about 1h 9m via Palisades Interstate Parkway and Cross Bronx Expressway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a highway-focused, same-day trip entirely within New York, connecting the Northeast region. Expect a relatively quick journey primarily on major parkways and expressways. It’s a straightforward drive for when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently. Consider this route for its directness and minimal time commitment.

About the Cities

Arriving in Jamaica, NY

Full guide →

Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.

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 1h 9m. Total distance: 45.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 87% of the route utilizing major parkways and expressways. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 25.8 miles on the Palisades Interstate Parkway early in your journey. The character shifts as you transition to the Cross Bronx Expressway and then the Van Wyck Expressway, moving from a parkway feel to a more urban expressway environment. Prepare for faster speeds and potentially heavier traffic as you approach your destination.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Palisades Interstate Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 25.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Palisades Interstate Parkway and Cross Bronx Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 47 / Thiells-Mount Ivy Road.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.9 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: near the start (CR 47 / Thiells-Mount Ivy Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 34.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 40 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): 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.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | CR 47 / Thiells-Mount Ivy Road

Enter roundabout onto CR 47 / Thiells-Mount Ivy Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

8
34.7 mi into trip | ~49m 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
40 mi into trip | ~58m 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
44.3 mi into trip | ~1h 5m 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
44.5 mi into trip | ~1h 5m 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 Thiells, NY to Jamaica, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Queens along the way.

Queens

34.7 mi in | ~49m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Palisades Interstate Parkway 25.8 mi 34m
Cross Bronx Expressway 4.4 mi 5m
Van Wyck Expressway 4.3 mi 6m
Whitestone Expressway 2.3 mi 3m
Thiells-Mount Ivy Road 2.2 mi 5m
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge 1.3 mi 2m
Van Wyck Expressway West 0.9 mi 2m
Hutchinson River Expressway 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Palisades Interstate Parkway — 25.8 mi, about 34m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Thiells, NY and Jamaica, NY.

1

Start on CR 47

50 ft · 1 sec · Thiells-Mount Ivy Road
2

Enter roundabout onto CR 47

274 ft · 7 sec · Thiells-Mount Ivy Road
3

Continue on CR 47

2.1 mi · 5 min · Thiells-Mount Ivy Road
4

At end of road, turn right onto US 202

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Route 202
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
6

Merge onto Palisades Interstate Parkway

26 mi · 34 min · Palisades Interstate Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.5 mi · 52 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
8

Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9

0.6 mi · 1 min · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on I 95; US 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · Trans-Manhattan Expressway
10

Continue on I 95; US 1

4.4 mi · 5 min · Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.9 mi · 2 min
Exit 6A Toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto I 678

0.8 mi · 1 min · Hutchinson River Expressway
13

Continue on I 678

1.3 mi · 2 min · Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
14

Continue on I 678

2.3 mi · 3 min · Whitestone Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
15

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.
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 6 Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue Use the right lane.
17

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West

0.9 mi · 2 min · Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
19

Turn left onto Liberty Avenue

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
20

Turn right onto Inwood Street

0.2 mi · 44 sec · Inwood Street
21

Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way

56 ft · 2 sec · Tuskegee Airmen Way
22

Arrive at destination

Tuskegee Airmen Way

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23 mi from Thiells, NY · 33m into the drive

city in Westchester County, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Yonkers, NY

23 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

Valley Cottage, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Yonkers, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23 miles from Thiells, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Jamaica, NY

The final approach into Jamaica, 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

$7.56 one way

$15.11 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $8.17 $16.34
premium $4.92 $8.90 $17.79
diesel $5.61 $10.13 $20.27

Estimated Tolls: $22.55

George Washington Bridge $16.00
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

$8

Tolls

$23

Total

$30

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.8 0 $4.82 $2.20
Efficient EV 11.5 0 $4.02 $1.84
EV Truck/SUV 18.4 0 $6.43 $2.94

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Thiells, NY

Morning in Thiells on Saturday

Local time

10:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Jamaica, NY

Morning in Jamaica on Saturday

Local time

10:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Mostly Cloudy

NE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

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

13 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 9m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Thiells, NY to Jamaica, NY covers 45.9 miles and takes about 1h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Palisades Interstate Parkway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Van Wyck Expressway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23 miles from Thiells, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.56 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 45.9 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: near the start (CR 47 / Thiells-Mount Ivy Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 34.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 40 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Thiells, NY to Jamaica, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Queens 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Thiells, NY or browse trips ending in Jamaica, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.