Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
18.4 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brooklyn, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Navigating from Brooklyn to Washington Heights covers 17.8 miles within New York, making it a straightforward urban journey that easily fits into a single day. You should anticipate a travel time of approximately 48 minutes, though local traffic patterns will dictate your actual pace. This route relies entirely on local streets rather than highways, utilizing roads like Snyder Avenue, Rogers Avenue, and Linden Boulevard to cross the city. With a fuel cost estimate of just $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly trip that requires no overnight stops. Because the entire drive remains within the Northeast region, you won't encounter significant climate or terrain shifts. It is a practical, no-frills transit between two distinct boroughs that requires your full attention on city navigation.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 5.4 mi | 9m |
| Washington Avenue | 2.6 mi | 6m |
| Harlem River Drive | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Flatbush Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 179th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Brooklyn, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
Start on Nostrand Avenue
Turn right onto Snyder Avenue
Turn right onto Rogers Avenue
Turn left onto NY 27
Turn slight right onto NY 27
Turn right onto Flatbush Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto Washington Avenue
Turn right onto Flushing Avenue
Turn left onto Classon Avenue
Turn left onto Kent Avenue
Turn right onto Williamsburg Street East
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 278
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
Merge onto GCP; I 278
Continue on I 278
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto HRD
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue
Turn left onto West 179th Street
Turn right onto US 9
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 10.1 and 17.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan, Bronx
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washington Bridge, Amsterdam Avenue, West 179 Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yeshiva University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$3.03 one way
$6.06 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.28 | $6.55 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.57 | $7.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.06 | $8.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Brooklyn on Sunday
Local time
6:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
Destination
Morning in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
6:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
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.
Expect a turn-heavy, local-focused drive that demands constant engagement with your surroundings. Because the highway share is 0%, you will spend the entire 17.8 miles navigating through dense city blocks and intersections. There is no longest uninterrupted stretch to speak of, as the nature of these city streets requires frequent stops and adjustments. The personality of this drive is strictly functional, prioritizing connectivity over speed or scenic highway cruising. You will feel the pulse of the city as you transition from the neighborhood streets of Brooklyn through the urban grid toward Washington Heights.
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 10.1 miles in near I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
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 25 decision points packed into just 18.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.1 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Brooklyn, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward La Guardia Airport, Manhattan, Bronx, Randalls Island and Harlem River Drive North.
La Guardia Airport
Manhattan
Bronx
Randalls Island
Harlem River Drive North
Founded 1634
Brooklyn, the "Borough of Homes and Churches," is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It used to be a separate city, and still feels much like one. It has about 2.5 million inhabitants. If separated from the rest of New York City, Brooklyn would be the 4th most populous American city. Brooklyn is on the westernmost point of Long Island and shares a land boundary with Queens, which partially encircles Brooklyn to the north, east and south; Manhattan lies across the East River to the west and north of Brooklyn, and Staten Island is across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the southwest. Brooklyn is enjoying a period of growth and affluence not seen since before World War II. The Brooklyn Academy of Music boasts world-class theater performances, and the nearby Barclays Center is the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 18.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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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