Origin
Bay Wood, NY
Morning in Bay Wood on Sunday
Local time
9:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bay Wood, NY to Washington Heights, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
44.3 mi
71 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bay Wood, NY
Mel Audelo
Washington Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Bay Wood to Washington Heights, expect a straightforward 44.3-mile trip that typically takes about 1 hour and 2 minutes. This route is designed for efficiency, relying heavily on a network of parkways and expressways to move you across the Northeast region. Given the manageable distance and duration, this is a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stays. You can budget approximately $7 for fuel to complete the journey. Because it is strictly a highway-focused drive, it works best for commuters or travelers who prioritize speed over scenic detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern State Parkway | 24.7 mi | 31m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Clearview Expressway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 2 mi | 3m |
| Cross Island Parkway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Hempstead Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Howells Road | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| 212th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Southern State Parkway
— 24.7 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bay Wood, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
1
Start on Howells Road
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Howells Road
Use the left lane.
2
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward SO West: New York
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on this road
363 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
4
Merge onto SO
25 mi
·
31 min
·
Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone Bridge
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto CI
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Cross Island Parkway
7
Take the exit
317 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 26B
Toward NY 24: UBS Arena-Belmont Park
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
437 ft
·
12 sec
Toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West
10
Keep slight right at fork
266 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Hempstead Avenue West
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
this road
Toward Grandstand, Hempstead Avenue West
12
Keep slight left at fork
100 ft
·
4 sec
Toward Hempstead Avenue
13
Turn right onto NY 24
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Hempstead Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto Jamaica Avenue
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Jamaica Avenue
15
Turn right onto NY 24
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
212th Street
16
Continue on I 295
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Clearview Expressway
Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Throgs Neck Bridge
18
Continue on I 295
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Throgs Neck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 1D-C-B
Toward I 87: Queens, Albany, Major Deegan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 1B
Toward Amsterdam Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
22
Turn straight onto Washington Bridge
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Bridge
23
Continue on West 181st Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
West 181st Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
24
Turn right onto Wadsworth Avenue
237 ft
·
14 sec
·
Wadsworth Avenue
25
Turn left onto West 182nd Street
277 ft
·
23 sec
·
West 182nd Street
26
Turn left onto US 9
229 ft
·
4 sec
·
Broadway
27
Arrive at destination
US 9
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.2 miles from Bay Wood, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 43.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward SO West: New York
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward SO West: New York
8
27.3 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
8
27.5 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hempstead Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Hempstead Avenue West
8
43.2 mi into trip
|
~59m in
Take the exit toward I 87: Queens, Albany, Major Deegan Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1D-C-B
Toward I 87: Queens, Albany, Major Deegan Expre...
9
43.4 mi into trip
|
~59m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward Amsterdam Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.29 one way
$14.58 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.89 | $15.77 |
| premium | $4.92 | $8.59 | $17.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.78 | $19.56 |
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
$7
Tolls
$7
Total
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.13 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.20 | $2.84 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Washington Heights, NY
Morning in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Partly Cloudy
W 5 mph
4% chance
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
17 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
1h 2m 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?
Expect a high-speed, highway-focused experience, as 85% of your travel occurs on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time navigating the Southern State Parkway, Cross Bronx Expressway, and Clearview Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 24.7-mile segment on the Southern State Parkway, which dictates the steady pace of the drive. While the route lacks technical local roads, you will experience a transition between parkway driving and the denser traffic patterns of the expressway system as you approach your destination.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.7 mi on Southern State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern State Parkway and Cross Bronx Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.3 miles you will encounter 20 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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 27.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bay Wood, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West and Grandstand.
Cross Island Parkway North
25.7 mi in
|
~34m
Hempstead Avenue West
27.4 mi in
|
~37m
Grandstand
27.6 mi in
|
~37m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 44.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.7 miles on Southern State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $6.55 in tolls one way, starting with Throgs Neck Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 27.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument (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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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