Trip from Bayside, NY to Syracuse, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 22, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

5h 15m

Distance

260.8 mi

420 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$46

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min

4 AM

5h 2m ★

6 AM

5h 15m

8 AM

5h 42m

10 AM

5h 25m

12 PM

5h 22m

3 PM

5h 26m

5 PM

5h 41m

8 PM

5h 7m

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

Best Time

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neighborhood in Queens, New York City, United States

Bayside, NY

Wikimedia Commons

city in and county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States

Syracuse, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Bayside, NY to Syracuse, NY is 260.8 miles and takes about 5h 15m via I 81 and Christopher Columbus Highway, with a fuel budget near $42 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York State, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. The route primarily uses major highways, making it a straightforward drive. With a recommended one-day trip duration, it's a solid option for getting from the New York City metro area up into Central New York without needing an overnight stay.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

130.4 miles from Bayside, NY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 40m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 81	128.5 mi	2h 31m
Christopher Columbus Highway	68.2 mi	1h 20m
I 380	27.7 mi	30m
Keystone Shortway	17.3 mi	24m
Cross Bronx Expressway	6.6 mi	8m
Throgs Neck Bridge	2 mi	3m
New Jersey Turnpike	2 mi	2m
Clearview Expressway	1.5 mi	1m

Longest stretch: I 81 — 128.5 mi, about 2h 31m

Traffic on I-80

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 336 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~4,190 veh/hr typical · worst 4,979

Quietest

1 AM

~446 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

9.4×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 103 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 Bayside, NY and Syracuse, NY.

Start on 210th Street

50 ft · 6 sec · 210th Street

Turn right onto 35th Avenue

0.2 mi · 37 sec · 35th Avenue

Turn right onto Clearview Expressway Service Road

59 ft · 1 sec · Clearview Expressway Service Road

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 25 sec

Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Bronx Use the straight / slight left lanes.

Merge onto I 295

1.5 mi · 1 min · Clearview Expressway

Continue on I 295

2.0 mi · 3 min · Throgs Neck Bridge

Continue on I 295

0.7 mi · 1 min · Throgs Neck Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 295

6.6 mi · 8 min · Cross Bronx Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · Trans-Manhattan Expressway

Toward Upper Level

Continue on I 95; US 1

0.6 mi · 59 sec · George Washington Bridge (upper level)

Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.5 mi · 48 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.6 mi · 39 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP

0.1 mi · 8 sec · I 95 EXPR; NJTP

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec

Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 29 sec

Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Merge onto I 95; NJTP

2.0 mi · 2 min · New Jersey Turnpike

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min

Exit 69 Toward I 80 West: Paterson, Hackensack Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on I 80

68 mi · 1 hr 20 min · Christopher Columbus Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

5.5 mi · 8 min · Keystone Shortway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

12 mi · 15 min · Keystone Shortway

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 46 sec

Exit 293 Toward I 380 North: Scranton

Continue on I 380

28 mi · 30 min · I 380

Use the straight lane.

Merge onto I 81

58 mi · 1 hr 9 min · I 81

Use the straight lane.

Keep slight right at fork onto I 81

1.8 mi · 2 min · I 81

Toward I 81 North: Syracuse, Albany

Keep slight left at fork onto I 81

66 mi · 1 hr 17 min · I 81

Toward I 81 North: Syracuse Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 81

0.2 mi · 17 sec · I 81

Toward Syracuse Use the straight lane.

Continue on I-81

0.4 mi · 26 sec · I-81

Continue on I 81

1.9 mi · 2 min · I 81

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec

Toward Adams Street, Harrison Street Use the slight right lane.

Continue on Almond Street

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Almond Street

Use the left / slight left / straight / right lanes.

Turn left onto NY 92

0.3 mi · 36 sec · East Genesee Street

At end of road, turn right onto US 11

10 ft · 0 sec · South State Street

Arrive at destination

US 11

Trip Plan

Given the 5h 15m estimated drive time, leaving Bayside in the morning is recommended to make the most of daylight. You can easily complete this 260.8-mile trip in a single day, so flexibility with stops is on your side. Plan for at least one stop to stretch your legs and refuel; a good point might be before or after the 128.5-mile stretch on I 81. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is around $42, and it's always wise to top up when opportunities arise, especially when traveling through potentially less populated areas.

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 130.4 miles from Bayside, NY, or about 2h 40m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 128.5 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 57 miles or 1h 11m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 130.4 miles or 2h 40m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 19m

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

Before You Leave

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

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Bayside, NY

This is one driving day of about 260.8 miles and 5h 15m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 57 miles from Bayside, NY.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on I 81 for about 128.5 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

New York City, NY

130 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.

Popular next leg

New York City, NY to Syracuse, NY

250.7 mi · 5h 4m

Pacing Suggestions

New York City, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 57 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Scranton, PA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 130.4 miles from Bayside, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

0.7 mi from route

Service Plaza

1.2 mi from route

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 22

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 190.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in

Take the ramp toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Bronx

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Bronx

13.7 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack

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. Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack

13.9 mi into trip | ~20m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack

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

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack

16.3 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward I 80 West: Paterson, Hackensack

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 69 Toward I 80 West: Paterson, Hackensack

190.9 mi into trip | ~3h 52m in | I 81

Keep slight left at fork onto I 81 toward I 81 North: Syracuse

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 81 North: Syracuse

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$45.65 one way

$91.30 round trip

$4.45/gal 25.4 MPG avg 91 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.82	$49.47	$98.94
premium	$5.23	$53.70	$107.40
diesel	$6.28	$64.44	$128.88

Estimated Tolls: $22.83

George Washington Bridge $16.00

Throgs Neck Bridge $6.55

New Jersey Turnpike (2 mi) $0.28

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

$46

Tolls

$23

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$93–$118

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 91.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.

Driving Electric?

About $27 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	78.2	0	$27.38	$12.52
Efficient EV	65.2	0	$22.82	$10.43
EV Truck/SUV	104.3	1	$36.51	$16.69

Gas CO2

91 kg

EV CO2

31 kg (66% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 Oct 19, 2026

Origin

Bayside, NY

Morning in Bayside on Thursday

Local time

6:55 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Sunny

NE 7 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Destination

Syracuse, NY

Morning in Syracuse on Thursday

Local time

6:55 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Sunny

W 3 mph 0% chance Live forecast

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.

Temperature spread

3 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

5h 15m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

General Grant National Memorial

National Memorial

This drive is mostly highway, with 65% of the 260.8 miles on major roads like I 81 and Christopher Columbus Highway. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch on I 81, covering 128.5 miles. Expect a transition from more developed areas near Bayside to potentially more rural cruising as you head north. The high highway share means you'll see a good number of exits and interchanges as you cover the distance.

65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 128.5 mi on I 81.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and Christopher Columbus Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a demanding drive. With 22 significant decision points across 260.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

1,944 ft 10 ft

Total Climb

2,500 ft

Total Descent

2,174 ft

Highest Point

1,944 ft

~111.8 mi in

Elevation Range

1,933 ft

Notable High Points

1,944 ft at ~111.8 miles +784 ft prominence

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Bayside, NY and Syracuse, NY, road signs point toward Njtp South: Hackensack, Hackensack and Albany.

Njtp South: Hackensack

13.7 mi in | ~19m

Hackensack

16.3 mi in | ~23m

Albany

189 mi in | ~3h 50m | via I 81

About the Cities

Starting in Bayside, NY

Full guide →

Arriving in Syracuse, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1848

Syracuse is a city in Central New York. With a population of 149,000 in city proper and 662,000 in its metro area (2020), Syracuse is the fifth largest city in the state of New York, and the third largest in Upstate New York.

Top landmarks

• Oncenter War Memorial Arena — arena in Syracuse, New York
• Everson Museum of Art — art museum in Syracuse, New York
• Niagara Mohawk Building — historic commercial building in New York, United States

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 5h 15m. Total distance: 260.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 128.5 miles on I 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $22.83 in tolls one way, starting with George Washington 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.

Yes — we found about 24 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Syracuse, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 24 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.

Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Not recommended in a single day. At 5.3 hours each way, a round trip means 10.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Syracuse, NY before the return drive.

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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Bayside, NY or browse trips ending in Syracuse, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.

Trip from Bayside, NY to Syracuse, NY

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Traffic on I-80

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Stops Along Your Drive

Broome Gateway Rest Area

Rest Area

Penn-Can Travel Plaza

Rest area

Rest Area

Rest Area

Whitney Point Rest Area

Pennsylvania Welcome Center

Rest Area

Rest Area

Onvo Travel Plaza

Preble

Crescent Lake Rest Area

Onvo Travel Plaza

TA

Pennsylvania Welcome Center

Rest Area

Flying J Travel Center

Onvo Travel Plaza

Love's Travel Stop

TA

Service Plaza

Service Plaza

Service Plaza

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Bayside, NY

Syracuse, NY

Same local time

3 degrees warmer at arrival

5h 15m on the road

National Parks Near This Route

General Grant National Memorial

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Stonewall National Monument

African Burial Ground National Monument

Castle Clinton National Monument

Federal Hall National Memorial

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Elevation Profile

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Starting in Bayside, NY

Arriving in Syracuse, NY

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

How do I pay the tolls on this route?

Are there rest areas on this route?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

Continue From Syracuse, NY

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