Origin
University Heights, NY
Late night in University Heights on Friday
Local time
1:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from University Heights, NY to Brooklyn, NY
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
38m
Distance
19.9 mi
32 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
University Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Brooklyn, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from University Heights, NY to Brooklyn, NY covers 19.9 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, Major Deegan Expressway, Washington Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.28 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 19.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from University Heights, NY to Brooklyn, NY covers 19.9 miles and takes about 38m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West is the longest continuous segment at about 5.7 miles.
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 0.4 miles in near West Fordham 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 15 decision points packed into just 19.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Fordham Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Fordham Road
Turn sharp left onto West Fordham Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward I 87 South: Major Deegan Expressway, Triborough Bridge, Queens
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 87 South: Major Deegan Expressway, Tri...
8
5.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 278 West: RFK Bridge, Manhattan, Queens
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 278 West: RFK Bridge, Manhattan, Queen...
8
8.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
8
15.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Wythe Avenue, Kent Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 31
Toward Wythe Avenue, Kent Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between University Heights, NY and Brooklyn, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
Manhattan
5.3 mi in
|
~9m
Queens
5.3 mi in
|
~9m
Staten Island
8.8 mi in
|
~16m
|
via I 278
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 5.7 mi | 9m |
| Major Deegan Expressway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Washington Avenue | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Flatbush Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| West Fordham Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
— 5.7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between University Heights, NY and Brooklyn, NY.
1
Start on West 183rd Street
506 ft
·
31 sec
·
West 183rd Street
2
Turn left onto University Avenue
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
University Avenue
3
Turn sharp left onto West Fordham Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Fordham Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 87 South: Major Deegan Expressway, Triborough Bridge, Queens
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 87
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Major Deegan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 278 West: RFK Bridge, Manhattan, Queens
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 278
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 278; GCP
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
5.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Toward I 278 West: Staten Island
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 31
Toward Wythe Avenue, Kent Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto Williamsburg Street West
0.3 mi
·
58 sec
·
Williamsburg Street West
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto Flushing Avenue
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Flushing Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto Washington Avenue
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Washington Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Empire Boulevard
413 ft
·
18 sec
·
Empire Boulevard
16
Turn left onto Flatbush Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Flatbush Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
17
Turn left onto NY 27
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
Caton Avenue
18
Continue on NY 27
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
·
Linden Boulevard
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto Nostrand Avenue
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Nostrand Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Nostrand Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.28 one way
$6.55 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.54 | $7.08 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.86 | $7.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.39 | $8.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.27 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Brooklyn, NY
Late night in Brooklyn on Friday
Local time
1:57 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
2 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
38m 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 University Heights, NY to Brooklyn, NY covers 19.9 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, Major Deegan Expressway, Washington Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10 miles from University Heights, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.28 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 15 decision points packed into just 19.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Fordham Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between University Heights, NY and Brooklyn, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
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