Origin
Washington Heights, NY
Morning in Washington Heights on Saturday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Washington Heights, NY to Bellaire, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
15.9 mi
26 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Bellaire, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
Washington Heights, NY to Bellaire, NY is 15.9 miles and takes about 23 minutes via Cross Bronx Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick drive stays within New York, traversing the Northeast region. It's a straightforward, highway-focused trip ideal for a short commute or an easy hop between these two points. Given its brevity, you won't need much in the way of planning, making it a flexible option for when you need to get from A to B without a major time commitment.
About the Cities
Starting in Washington Heights, NY
Full guide →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 23m. Total distance: 15.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route is primarily a highway-focused drive, with 74% of it on expressways. You'll spend a good portion of your time navigating the Cross Bronx Expressway, where the longest uninterrupted stretch measures 6.1 miles. Expect a dynamic mix of city-adjacent expressway driving, including the significant crossing over the Throgs Neck Bridge. The Clearview Expressway will also feature prominently, offering a consistent pace for this relatively short journey.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cross Bronx Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Cross Bronx Expressway and Clearview Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West 180th Street.
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 9 decision points packed into just 15.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West 180th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Wadsworth Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 181st Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 180th Street
Turn left onto West 180th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Wadsworth Avenue
Turn left onto Wadsworth Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 181st Street
Turn right onto West 181st Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 95; US 1 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Merge onto I 95; US 1 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
5.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Washington Heights, NY and Bellaire, NY, road signs point toward New England and Eastern Long Island.
New England
0.8 mi in
|
~2m
Eastern Long Island
0.8 mi in
|
~2m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Clearview Expressway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 2 mi | 3m |
| Hollis Court Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Throgs Neck Expressway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Washington Bridge | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Jamaica Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West 181st Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Cross Bronx Expressway
— 6.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Washington Heights, NY and Bellaire, NY.
1
Start on US 9
302 ft
·
20 sec
·
Broadway
2
Turn left onto West 180th Street
293 ft
·
17 sec
·
West 180th Street
3
Turn left onto Wadsworth Avenue
293 ft
·
12 sec
·
Wadsworth Avenue
4
Turn right onto West 181st Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
West 181st Street
5
Continue on Washington Bridge
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Bridge
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 95 North: Cross Bronx Expressway, New England, Eastern Long Island
7
Merge onto I 95; US 1
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Throgs Neck Expressway
10
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 295
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on NY 24
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hollis Court Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto Jamaica Avenue
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Jamaica Avenue
14
Turn right onto Francis Lewis Boulevard
21 ft
·
0 sec
·
Francis Lewis Boulevard
15
Arrive at destination
Francis Lewis Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.62 one way
$5.23 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.83 | $5.66 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.08 | $6.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.51 | $7.02 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Throgs Neck 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
$3
Tolls
$7
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.23 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Bellaire, NY
Morning in Bellaire on Saturday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
23m 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 Washington Heights, NY to Bellaire, NY covers 15.9 miles and takes about 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cross Bronx Expressway, Clearview Expressway, Throgs Neck 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 7.9 miles from Washington Heights, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.62 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 9 decision points packed into just 15.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West 180th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Wadsworth Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 181st Street): Navigation decision point.
Between Washington Heights, NY and Bellaire, NY, road signs point toward New England and Eastern Long Island.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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