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Trip from Bath Beach, NY to Washington Heights, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

19.7 mi

32 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Bath Beach, NY, NY

Bath Beach, NY

Sarah O'Shea

Downtown Washington Heights, NY, NY

Washington Heights, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Bath Beach, NY to Washington Heights, NY is 19.7 miles and takes about 39m via Henry Hudson Parkway and Gowanus Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a short, direct drive that primarily uses major roadways, making it a straightforward option for getting from one part of the city to another. Plan for this to be a quick transit, likely fitting easily into your day without needing an overnight stop.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Henry Hudson Parkway 4.7 mi 7m
Gowanus Expressway 4.1 mi 6m
West Street 2.4 mi 6m
12th Avenue 1.8 mi 5m
86th Street 1.4 mi 2m
West Side Highway 0.8 mi 1m
11th Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
18th Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Henry Hudson Parkway — 4.7 mi, about 7m

Traffic on I-278

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~3,452 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~674 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

5.1×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 34 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bath Beach, NY and Washington Heights, NY.

1

Start on Benson Avenue

251 ft · 11 sec · Benson Avenue
2

Turn right onto 18th Avenue

0.2 mi · 44 sec · 18th Avenue
3

Turn left onto 86th Street

1.4 mi · 2 min · 86th Street
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward I 278 East: Manhattan, Queens
5

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 278 East: Queens, Bronx Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 278

4.1 mi · 6 min · Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

2.3 mi · 4 min
Exit 25 Toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Manhattan Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork

230 ft · 10 sec
Toward NY 9A North: West Street, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, George Washington Bridge Use the right lane.
9

At end of road, turn right onto NY 9A

2.4 mi · 6 min · West Street
Use the right lane.
10

Continue on NY 9A

0.4 mi · 1 min · 11th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
11

Continue on NY 9A

1.8 mi · 5 min · 12th Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Continue on NY 9A

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Side Highway
13

Continue on HH; NY 9A

4.7 mi · 7 min · Henry Hudson Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 14 Toward I 95: George Washington Brigde Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight right at fork

277 ft · 6 sec
Toward West 178th Street Use the slight right lane.
16

Continue on US 9

0.2 mi · 39 sec · West 178th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
17

Turn left onto US 9

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Broadway
Use the straight / left lanes.
18

Arrive at destination

US 9

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 19.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

9
1.8 mi into trip | ~4m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 278 East: Queens, Bronx

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 278 East: Queens, Bronx
9
6.2 mi into trip | ~11m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Manhattan

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 25 Toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Manhattan
8
8.5 mi into trip | ~15m in

Keep slight right at fork toward NY 9A North: West Street, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, George Washington Bridge

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

Use the right lane. Toward NY 9A North: West Street, Holland Tunnel...
7
18.8 mi into trip | ~37m in

Take the exit toward I 95: George Washington Brigde

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 14 Toward I 95: George Washington Brigde
7
19.3 mi into trip | ~38m in

Keep slight right at fork toward West 178th Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward West 178th Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.20 one way

$6.40 round trip

$4.13/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.47 $3.47 $6.93
premium $4.87 $3.77 $7.55
diesel $5.40 $4.19 $8.38

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.95
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.79
EV Truck/SUV 7.9 0 $2.76 $1.26

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.

Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026

Origin

Bath Beach, NY

Afternoon in Bath Beach on Sunday

Local time

1:45 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Partly Sunny

NE 14 mph 15% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY

Destination

Washington Heights, NY

Afternoon in Washington Heights on Sunday

Local time

1:45 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Partly Sunny

NE 10 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

39m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This 19.7-mile route is 45% highway, meaning you'll spend a significant portion of your time on expressways like the Gowanus Expressway and Henry Hudson Parkway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 4.7 miles on the Henry Hudson Parkway, offering a consistent cruising experience. Expect to transition from these faster-paced highway sections to surface streets as you get closer to Washington Heights. The mix of road types means you'll experience both open-road driving and navigating more built-up urban environments.

45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.7 mi on Henry Hudson Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 1.8 miles in.

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 12 decision points packed into just 19.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Bath Beach, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Queens, Bronx and Manhattan.

Queens

1.6 mi in | ~3m

Bronx

1.8 mi in | ~4m

Manhattan

6.2 mi in | ~11m

About the Cities

Arriving 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 39m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.7 miles on Henry Hudson Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Washington Heights, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Castle Clinton National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and General Grant National Memorial (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Washington Heights, NY before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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