Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17.1 mi
28 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.
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
East Amherst, NY
Illya Goloborodko
Buffalo, NY to East Amherst, NY is 17.1 miles and takes about 26 minutes via Kensington Expressway and Transit Road, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York and the Northeast region, offering a straightforward drive. It's a practical route for a quick relocation or a short excursion without demanding extensive planning. The mixed driving profile means you'll experience both highway speeds and local road conditions. Consider this an easy, accessible drive that requires minimal commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington Expressway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| Transit Road | 5.6 mi | 8m |
| Genesee Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Washington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Court Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Niagara Square | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lafayette Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| NY 33 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and East 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
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 33
Merge onto NY 33
Turn left onto NY 78
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 11.6 — 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 left onto Elm Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NY 33 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 33 toward NY 33 East: Genesee Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto NY 78 / Transit Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.81 one way
$5.63 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.04 | $6.09 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.31 | $6.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6 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 | 5.1 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
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
Late night in Buffalo on Sunday
Local time
12:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in East Amherst on Sunday
Local time
12:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°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 route features a mixed drive profile, with 48% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches like the 8.2-mile segment on Kensington Expressway, which will feel like a faster-paced highway experience. The remainder of the journey transitions to more local road conditions as you navigate through Transit Road and Genesee Street. Expect the character of the drive to change from open expressway to more developed urban and suburban thoroughfares. It's a dynamic short trip that keeps you engaged without being overly demanding.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Washington Street.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 17.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.3 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 17.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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