Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 22m
Distance
154.5 mi
249 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$25
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
South Hill, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
This 154.5-mile drive from Buffalo, NY to South Hill, NY will take you about 3 hours and 22 minutes. It's a manageable trip, easily completed in a single day, so you don't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. The route primarily utilizes the New York State Thruway, State Highway 96, and State Highway 89, with about 22% of the journey on highways. You can expect to spend around $25 on fuel for this trip. This is a local drive that offers a good balance of highway speed and more winding sections, making it a pleasant way to travel within the Northeast region.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
77.2 miles from Buffalo, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 33m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New York State Thruway | 94.2 mi | 1h 49m |
| State Highway 96 | 16.4 mi | 23m |
| State Highway 89 | 10.1 mi | 13m |
| Trumansburg Road | 8.8 mi | 13m |
| Kensington Expressway | 6.8 mi | 9m |
| Ovid Street | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Ernsberger Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Townline Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and South Hill, 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
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto NY 14
Take the exit
Turn straight onto NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Turn right onto NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Turn right onto NY 96
Turn left onto NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Turn left onto NY 336
At end of road, turn right onto NY 414
Turn left onto CR 128
At end of road, turn right onto NY 89
Turn right onto CR 141
Continue on CR 141A
Turn left onto NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Continue on NY 96
Turn right onto Taughannock Boulevard
Turn left onto NY 79
Turn right onto NY 13; NY 34; NY 96; NY 79
Turn left onto NY 96B
Turn right onto NY 96B
Continue on NY 96B
Turn left onto CR 119
Arrive at destination
Given the 3-hour and 22-minute duration, starting your drive in the morning is a good idea to allow for flexibility. With only one recommended stop, you have plenty of freedom to pace yourself. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $25, and plan to refuel if needed, especially before embarking on the 94.2-mile stretch on the New York State Thruway. Since this is a single-day trip, you can afford to be spontaneous with your timing and enjoy the changing scenery as you make your way from Buffalo to South Hill.
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.
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 34 miles or 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 77.2 miles or 1h 33m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near South Hill, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Buffalo, NY
This is one driving day of about 154.5 miles and 3h 22m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
77 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.
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 77.2 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before New York State Thruway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 94.2 miles.
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 0.3 and 152.7 — 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 I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NY 14: Geneva, Lyons
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto NY 13; NY 34; NY 96; NY 79 / South Fulton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$25.43 one way
$50.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $27.50 | $55.00 |
| premium | $4.92 | $29.95 | $59.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $34.11 | $68.22 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.71
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
$25
Tolls
$5
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 54.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 46.4 | 0 | $16.22 | $7.42 |
| Efficient EV | 38.6 | 0 | $13.52 | $6.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 61.8 | 0 | $21.63 | $9.89 |
Gas CO2
54 kg
EV CO2
18 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
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Night in South Hill on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
59°F
Thompson, NY
77 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.
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Historical Park
Women’s Rights National Historical Park tells the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19-20, 1848. It is a story of struggles for civil rights, human r...
National Historical Park
Harriet Tubman was guided by a deep faith and devotion to family, freedom, and community. After emancipating herself and members of her family, she moved them from Ontario, Canada to Fleming and Aubur...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route. While 22% of the journey is on highways, the majority of the 154.5 miles will likely involve navigating more varied road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch is a significant 94.2 miles on the New York State Thruway, offering a period of consistent speed. After this, the road profile shifts, likely incorporating more turns and potentially slower speeds as you transition to State Highway 96 and State Highway 89. This mix means you'll experience both efficient highway travel and more engaging local road driving.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Washington Street.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 154.5 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 0.3 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Buffalo, NY and South Hill, NY, road signs point toward Albany, Lyons and Waterloo.
Albany
Lyons
Waterloo
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 3h 22m. Total distance: 154.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads 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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