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Trip from West Albany, NY to Beacon, NY

Last recalculated Apr 15, 2026

Drive Time

1h 58m

Distance

96.6 mi

155 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
1h 50m ★
6 AM
1h 59m
8 AM
2h 16m
10 AM
2h 5m
12 PM
2h 3m
3 PM
2h 6m
5 PM
2h 15m
8 PM
1h 54m

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

Downtown West Albany, NY, NY

West Albany, NY

Connor Scott McManus

Downtown Beacon, NY, NY

Beacon, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

Trip Overview

The drive from West Albany, NY to Beacon, NY covers 96.6 miles and takes about 1h 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on New York State Thruway, I 84, I 787 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 81.8 miles on New York State Thruway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.90 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

48.3 miles from West Albany, NY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 58m drive with frequent turns across 96.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New York State Thruway is the longest continuous segment at about 81.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.2 miles in.

Route Complexity 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 96.6 miles you will encounter 16 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: at 3.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

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

6
3.2 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the exit toward I 787 North, I 787 South: Troy, Albany, Rensselaer

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 6A Toward I 787 North, I 787 South: Troy, Albany,...
8
3.4 mi into trip | ~5m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 787 South: Albany, Rensselaer

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 787 South: Albany, Rensselaer
6
7.2 mi into trip | ~11m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 87 South: New York, Massachusetts Turnpike, Exits 22-1

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 87 South: New York, Massachusetts Turn...
6
89.5 mi into trip | ~1h 47m in

Take the exit toward I 84, NY 17K, NY 300: Scranton, Newburgh, Stewart Airport

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 17 Toward I 84, NY 17K, NY 300: Scranton, Newburgh...
6
90.2 mi into trip | ~1h 48m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 84 East: Danbury

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 84 East: Danbury

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between West Albany, NY and Beacon, NY, road signs point toward Massachusetts Turnpike, Exits 22-1, Newburgh and Stewart Airport.

Massachusetts Turnpike

7.2 mi in | ~11m

Exits 22-1

7.2 mi in | ~11m

Newburgh

89.5 mi in | ~1h 47m

Stewart Airport

89.5 mi in | ~1h 47m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New York State Thruway 81.8 mi 1h 34m
I 84 4.6 mi 5m
I 787 3.4 mi 5m
I 90 2.4 mi 3m
North Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Main Street 0.5 mi 1m
Exchange Street 0.3 mi <1m
Everett Road Extension 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New York State Thruway — 81.8 mi, about 1h 34m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between West Albany, NY and Beacon, NY.

1

Start on Sand Creek Road

71 ft · 6 sec · Sand Creek Road
2

Turn right onto Exchange Street

0.3 mi · 47 sec · Exchange Street
3

Turn left onto CR 155

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Everett Road Extension
4

Turn left

0.2 mi · 25 sec
5

Merge onto I 90

2.4 mi · 3 min · I 90
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Exit 6A Toward I 787 North, I 787 South: Troy, Albany, Rensselaer
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 37 sec
Toward I 787 South: Albany, Rensselaer Use the slight right lane.
8

Merge onto I 787

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 787
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on I 787

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 787
Exit 1 Toward I 87 Toll: New York State Thruway
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 87 South: New York, Massachusetts Turnpike, Exits 22-1
11

Merge onto I 87

82 mi · 1 hr 34 min · New York State Thruway
12

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 52 sec
Exit 17 Toward I 84, NY 17K, NY 300: Scranton, Newburgh, Stewart Airport
13

Continue on this road

485 ft · 11 sec · this road
14

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward I 84 East: Danbury
15

Merge onto I 84

4.6 mi · 5 min · I 84
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 41 Toward NY 9D: Beacon, Wappingers Falls
17

Continue on this road

0.1 mi · 18 sec · this road
Exit 41 Toward NY 9D: Beacon, Wappingers Falls
18

Turn right onto NY 9D; NY 52 Bus

0.1 mi · 16 sec · North Road
Use the right lane.
19

Continue on NY 9D; NY 52 Bus

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Avenue
20

Turn left onto NY 52 Bus

0.5 mi · 1 min · Main Street
Use the left lane.
21

Arrive at destination

NY 52 Bus

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 48.3 miles from West Albany, NY, or about 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.8 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 21 miles or 28m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 48.3 miles or 59m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 35m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Beacon, NY than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving West Albany, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from West Albany, NY

This is one driving day of about 96.6 miles and 1h 58m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from West Albany, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on New York State Thruway for about 81.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 48.3 mi from West Albany, NY · 59m into the drive

Downtown Catskill, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Catskill, NY

48 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

Coeymans, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Catskill, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 48.3 miles from West Albany, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before New York State Thruway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 81.8 miles.

Arriving in Beacon, NY

The final approach into Beacon, 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

$15.90 one way

$31.80 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 34 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $17.19 $34.39
premium $4.92 $18.72 $37.45
diesel $5.61 $21.33 $42.66

Estimated Tolls: $4.09

New York State Thruway (81.8 mi) $4.09

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$16

Tolls

$4

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$45–$70

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 33.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 29 0 $10.14 $4.64
Efficient EV 24.2 0 $8.45 $3.86
EV Truck/SUV 38.6 0 $13.52 $6.18

Gas CO2

34 kg

EV CO2

11 kg (68% 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

West Albany, NY

Evening in West Albany on Wednesday

Local time

6:48 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Beacon, NY

Evening in Beacon on Wednesday

Local time

6:48 PM

EDT

Current temp

--

Unavailable

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Road read

1h 58m 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 West Albany, NY to Beacon, NY covers 96.6 miles and takes about 1h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New York State Thruway, I 84, I 787. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 48.3 miles from West Albany, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.90 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 96.6 miles you will encounter 16 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: at 3.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between West Albany, NY and Beacon, NY, road signs point toward Massachusetts Turnpike, Exits 22-1, Newburgh and Stewart Airport.

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