Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
9h 13m
Distance
438.8 mi
706 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$74
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Shirley, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Buffalo to Shirley is 438.8 miles and takes about 9h 13m via Southern Tier Expressway, Keystone Shortway, and I 81, with a fuel budget near $73 and enough daylight to finish in a day if you start early. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast to the Northeast region. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, making it a straightforward transit. Considering the duration and the number of recommended days, this route is best tackled over two days to allow for a more relaxed pace and exploration.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
219.4 miles from Buffalo, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 37m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Tier Expressway | 104.5 mi | 2h 2m |
| Keystone Shortway | 80 mi | 1h 37m |
| I 81 | 53.4 mi | 1h 3m |
| Long Island Expressway | 43.5 mi | 59m |
| Genesee Expressway | 32.6 mi | 37m |
| I 380 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| Aurora Expressway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| Varysburg Road | 10.9 mi | 15m |
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
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Shirley, NY.
Start on NY 384
Continue on Perkins Drive
At end of road, turn left onto NY 5
Keep slight right at fork
At end of road, turn right onto Church Street
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 190
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit
Continue on NY 400
Take the exit
Turn left onto US 20A; NY 78
Continue on US 20A; NY 78
Continue on US 20A
Continue on US 20A
Continue on US 20A
Continue on US 20A
Continue on CR 64
Turn right onto NY 36
Continue on NY 36
Continue on NY 36
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 390
Merge onto I 86
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6
Continue on I 84; I 380
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 80
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right
Turn straight onto CR 56
Continue on CR 56
Continue on CR 56
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 1; US 9; US 46
Take the exit
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
Continue on I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95; US 1
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
Merge onto I 295
Continue on I 295
Continue on I 295
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Express Drive South
Turn slight right onto CR 16
At end of road, turn left onto CR 80
Turn right onto Aletta Place
Turn right
At end of road, turn right onto CR 46
Arrive at destination
This is a 9-hour drive, so breaking it into two days is highly recommended for comfort and safety. Aim to leave Buffalo early in the morning on your first day to maximize daylight. With two recommended stops, plan for roughly 4.5 hours of driving per day. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially when transitioning between highways, as services can be spaced out. The longest stretch on the Southern Tier Expressway is over 100 miles, so ensure you're fueled up before embarking on that section.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 97 miles or 2h 13m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 219.4 miles or 4h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 219.4 miles or 4h 37m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 49m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Shirley, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Buffalo, 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Buffalo, NY
Aim for roughly 219 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Shirley, NY
Aim for roughly 219 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
219 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Barton, NYNight 1
219 mi · about 4.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Barton, NY after about 219 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 97 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 219.4 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Southern Tier Expressway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 104.5 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 219 miles or 4.6 hours on the road.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 370.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork toward I 190 South, NY 5 West: Skyway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 90 West: Erie
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NY 400, NY 16: West Seneca, East Aurora
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6 toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt Pocono
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Leonia, Teaneck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$73.59 one way
$147.19 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.63 | $79.92 | $159.83 |
| premium | $5.05 | $87.29 | $174.59 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $96.73 | $193.45 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.85
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
$74
Tolls
$23
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$226–$336
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 153.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $46 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 131.6 | 1 | $46.07 | $21.06 |
| Efficient EV | 109.7 | 1 | $38.40 | $17.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 175.5 | 2 | $61.43 | $28.08 |
Gas CO2
154 kg
EV CO2
51 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Wednesday
Local time
2:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Shirley on Wednesday
Local time
2:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Partly Cloudy
75°F
Barton, NY
219 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
With 65% of this route on highways, expect a significant amount of time on major interstates. The longest continuous stretch without a major change in road type is 104.5 miles on the Southern Tier Expressway. You'll notice plenty of exits and opportunities for services along these main arteries. The remainder of the drive will be on surface roads.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern Tier Expressway and Keystone Shortway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in.
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 41 significant decision points across 438.8 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 0.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
2,555 ft
Total Descent
3,098 ft
Highest Point
1,826 ft
~282.1 mi in
Elevation Range
1,797 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Buffalo, NY and Shirley, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford, New York City, Leonia, Teaneck and George Washington Bridge Upper Level - among others.
Mt Pocono
Milford
New York City
Leonia
Teaneck
George Washington Bridge Upper Level
Eastern Long Island
Founded 1832
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
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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