Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
21.9 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Valley Stream, NY
Mel Audelo
The drive from Washington Heights, NY to Valley Stream, NY covers 21.9 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Cross Bronx Expressway, Clearview Expressway, Throgs Neck Bridge for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.1 miles on Cross Bronx Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.60 one way before food or hotel costs.
Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods. Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 21.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
This is a 33m highway drive covering 21.9 miles, with most of the trip on Cross Bronx Expressway and Clearview Expressway. The longest continuous stretch is about 6.1 miles on Cross Bronx Expressway.
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.
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 18 decision points packed into just 21.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West 180th Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.8 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn left onto West 180th Street
Navigation decision point
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
Keep slight right at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Francis Lewis Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto South Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Washington Heights, NY to Valley Stream, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Cross Island Parkway South along the way.
Cross Island Parkway South
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Clearview Expressway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 2 mi | 3m |
| Cross Island Parkway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Belt Parkway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Sunrise Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Hempstead Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Hollis Court Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Washington Heights, NY and Valley Stream, NY.
Start on US 9
Turn left onto West 180th Street
Turn left onto Wadsworth Avenue
Turn right onto West 181st Street
Continue on Washington Bridge
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95; US 1
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
Merge onto I 295
Continue on I 295
Continue on I 295
Continue on NY 24
At end of road, turn left onto NY 24
Turn right onto Hempstead Avenue
Turn right onto 225th Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto CI
Continue on BP
Keep slight right at fork onto BP
Take the exit
At end of road, turn right onto Laurelton Parkway
Turn right onto Francis Lewis Boulevard
Turn left onto NY 27
Continue on NY 27
Turn left onto South Central Avenue
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.21 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.90 | $7.80 |
| premium | $4.92 | $4.24 | $8.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.84 | $9.67 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$7
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Washington Heights on Friday
Local time
10:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Night in Valley Stream on Friday
Local time
10:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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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