Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
8.8 mi
14 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Amherst, NY
Wikimedia Commons
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward commute, the 8.8-mile trip from Buffalo to Amherst is an ideal option. You can expect to reach your destination in approximately 17 minutes, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day journey that requires no overnight stay. Budgeting for your trip is incredibly simple, as you will likely spend just $1 on fuel for the entire distance. This route keeps you within the Northeast region, transitioning you smoothly from the urban core of Buffalo into the neighboring community of Amherst. Because the trip is so efficient, you have maximum flexibility to plan your arrival time without needing to worry about long-distance logistics or fatigue.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington Expressway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Bailey Avenue | 2.2 mi | 5m |
| Grover Cleveland Highway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Millersport Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Genesee Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Washington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Court Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Niagara Square | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Amherst, NY.
Start on NY 384
Continue on Court Street
Continue on Lafayette Square
Turn left onto Washington Street
Turn right onto Genesee Street
Turn left onto Elm Street
Take the exit
Continue on NY 33
Take the exit
Continue on Cloverdale Avenue
Turn left onto US 62
Turn slight right onto NY 263
Continue on NY 263
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 5.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Genesee Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Elm Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NY 33 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Take the exit toward US 62: Bailey Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$1.45 one way
$2.90 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.57 | $3.13 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.71 | $3.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.94 | $3.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.92 | $0.42 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.77 | $0.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Night in Buffalo on Saturday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Night in Amherst on Saturday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
This 8.8-mile excursion offers a mixed-drive profile, blending high-speed transit with local navigation. You will spend about 46% of your journey on highways, starting with a 4.1-mile stretch on the Kensington Expressway that serves as the longest uninterrupted portion of the route. As you move off the expressway, the character of the drive shifts to surface streets, including Bailey Avenue and the Grover Cleveland Highway. Navigating these transitions requires you to adjust your pace as the road environment changes from a high-capacity thoroughfare to more standard local roads. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B with minimal complexity.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Washington Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Genesee Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The largest city in New York State's Niagara Frontier, Buffalo is a city full of surprises. Though Buffalo is sometimes the butt of jokes about chicken wings, its long-suffering sports teams, and the mountains of snow under which it is supposedly buried each winter, those in the know tell a different story: one of vibrant nightlife, world-class museums and cultural attractions, tight-knit neighborhoods with strong community spirit – and the sunniest summers in Northeastern United States.
Amherst is a town in the Northtowns of Erie County, New York.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 8.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Straightforward navigation.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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