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Trip from Buffalo, NY to Stafford, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 3m

Distance

47.3 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 59m ★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 1m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Buffalo, NY, NY

Buffalo, NY

Wikimedia Commons

county town of Staffordshire in the West Midlands, England

Stafford, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Buffalo, NY to Stafford, NY is 47.3 miles and takes about 1h 3m via New York State Thruway, Kensington Expressway, and West Main Street, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, making it a convenient option if you're looking for a quick drive between the Northeast region. Expect a route that involves a fair amount of turning, so it's not a straightforward highway cruise. It's ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for a relaxed pace and plenty of time to reach your destination without feeling rushed.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New York State Thruway 31.3 mi 36m
Kensington Expressway 6.8 mi 9m
West Main Street 6.1 mi 9m
Oak Street 1.1 mi 2m
Genesee Street 0.3 mi <1m
Washington Street 0.2 mi <1m
Court Street 0.2 mi <1m
Niagara Square 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New York State Thruway — 31.3 mi, about 36m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Stafford, NY.

1

Start on NY 384

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Niagara Square
2

Continue on Court Street

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Court Street
3

Continue on Lafayette Square

372 ft · 18 sec · Lafayette Square
4

Turn left onto Washington Street

0.2 mi · 45 sec · Washington Street
5

Turn right onto Genesee Street

0.3 mi · 49 sec · Genesee Street
6

Turn left onto Elm Street

263 ft · 7 sec · Elm Street
Use the left lane.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 15 sec
Toward NY 33 East
8

Continue on NY 33

6.8 mi · 9 min · Kensington Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany Use the right lane.
10

Merge onto I 90

31 mi · 36 min · New York State Thruway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Exit 48 Toward NY 98: Batavia Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn slight right

0.1 mi · 20 sec
13

Turn left onto NY 98

1.1 mi · 2 min · Oak Street
14

Turn left onto NY 5; NY 33; NY 63

6.1 mi · 9 min · West Main Street
15

Arrive at destination

NY 5

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

village in Erie County, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Akron, NY

24 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Williamsville, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pembroke, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.7 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 39.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Washington Street

Turn left onto Washington Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m in | Elm Street

Turn left onto Elm Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the exit toward NY 33 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward NY 33 East
7
7.9 mi into trip | ~12m in

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

Use the right lane. Toward I 90 East: Niagara Falls, Albany
7
39.5 mi into trip | ~49m in

Take the exit toward NY 98: Batavia

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 48 Toward NY 98: Batavia

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.79 one way

$15.57 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $8.42 $16.84
premium $4.92 $9.17 $18.34
diesel $5.61 $10.44 $20.89

Estimated Tolls: $1.57

New York State Thruway (31.3 mi) $1.57

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$2

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.97 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.14 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.62 $3.03

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Buffalo, NY

Late night in Buffalo on Sunday

Local time

4:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Mostly Cloudy then Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 14 to 20 mph 85% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

Destination

Stafford, NY

Late night in Stafford on Sunday

Local time

4:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

58°F

Akron, NY

24 mi in

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

33 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 3m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

This is a turn-heavy local drive, with only 14% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter a mix of major roads and local streets, requiring your attention throughout the 1h 3m trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 31.3 miles on the New York State Thruway, offering a brief period of higher-speed travel before transitioning back to more dynamic driving. Be prepared for frequent adjustments and navigation as you weave through various road types.

Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.3 mi on New York State Thruway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Washington Street.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 47.3 miles you will encounter 10 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.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Buffalo, NY to Stafford, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Albany along the way.

Albany

7.9 mi in | ~12m

About the Cities

Starting in Buffalo, NY

Full guide →

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.

Arriving in Stafford, NY

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 47.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 31.3 miles on New York State Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.57 in tolls one way, starting with New York State Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Stafford, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

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.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Stafford, NY before heading back.

How this page is built

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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