Origin
Buffalo, NY
Morning in Buffalo on Tuesday
Local time
7:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buffalo, NY to Tonawanda, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
11.7 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Tonawanda, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Buffalo and Tonawanda, this 12.7-mile route is a straightforward option that takes roughly 17 minutes to complete. Because the distance is so manageable, you can easily tackle this drive in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate local streets, including Perkins Drive, South Elmwood Avenue, and Church Street, rather than dealing with interstate traffic. With a fuel budget of just $2, this is an incredibly economical way to travel within the Northeast region. It serves as a practical, no-fuss connection that allows you to move between these two points with minimal planning or expense.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara Thruway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| Sheridan Drive | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Military Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Seymour Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Elmwood Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Church Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Perkins Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Niagara Thruway
— 6.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Tonawanda, NY.
1
Start on NY 384
100 ft
·
2 sec
·
Niagara Square
2
Continue on Perkins Drive
321 ft
·
16 sec
·
Perkins Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto NY 5
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Elmwood Avenue
4
Keep slight right at fork
206 ft
·
8 sec
5
At end of road, turn right onto Church Street
501 ft
·
16 sec
·
Church Street
Use the right lane.
6
Take the exit
175 ft
·
4 sec
Toward I 190, NY 5 West: Skyway, Peace Bridge, Canada
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 190 North: Peace Bridge, Canada
Use the left / right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 190
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Niagara Thruway
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 15
Toward NY 324: Sheridan Drive, Kenmore Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn slight right onto NY 325
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Sheridan Drive
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto NY 265
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Military Road
Use the left lane.
12
Continue on NY 265
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
13
Turn slight left onto NY 265
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Seymour Street
14
Arrive at destination
NY 265
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Church Street
At end of road, turn right onto Church Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 190, NY 5 West: Skyway, Peace Bridge, Canada
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 190, NY 5 West: Skyway, Peace Bridge,...
9
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 190 North: Peace Bridge, Canada
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward I 190 North: Peace Bridge, Canada
8
7.2 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward NY 324: Sheridan Drive, Kenmore Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward NY 324: Sheridan Drive, Kenmore Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.93 one way
$3.85 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.08 | $4.17 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.27 | $4.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.58 | $5.17 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.33
Niagara Thruway
(6.5 mi)
$0.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$0
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Destination
Tonawanda, NY
Morning in Tonawanda on Tuesday
Local time
7:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
20m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel from start to finish. This route features a 0% highway share, meaning you will spend the entire 17-minute duration navigating surface streets. Because there are no long highway stretches, you should prepare for a series of turns rather than long, uninterrupted cruising. You will not find any extended straightaways here, as the longest stretch is 0 miles on Perkins Drive. It is a strictly urban-style commute that requires your full attention to navigation rather than the mindless driving often associated with regional interstates.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on Niagara Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.1 miles in near NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 11.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Buffalo, NY
Full guide →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
- • Buffalo AKG Art Museum — art museum in New York, US
- • Buffalo City Hall — skyscraper and municipal building in Buffalo, New York, USA
- • USS Croaker — 1943 Gato-class submarine
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 20m. Total distance: 11.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m 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 6.5 miles on Niagara Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.33 in tolls one way, starting with Niagara 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 Tonawanda, 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 0.1 miles (NY 5 / South Elmwood Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tonawanda, 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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