Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
7h 59m
Distance
378.8 mi
610 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$62
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
Wykagyl, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Buffalo, NY to Wykagyl, NY is 378.8 miles and takes about 7h 59m via I 86, with a fuel budget near $62 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This highway-focused drive stays within New York, traversing the Northeast region from west to east. It's a straightforward trip primarily on the Southern Tier Expressway and Genesee Expressway, making it a solid choice for a single-day journey. Plan for a total of 2 stops along the way. Given the duration and highway share, it's designed for efficient travel.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
189.4 miles from Buffalo, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 2m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 86 | 129.9 mi | 2h 40m |
| Southern Tier Expressway | 104.5 mi | 2h 2m |
| Genesee Expressway | 32.6 mi | 37m |
| New York State Thruway | 19.3 mi | 26m |
| Palisades Interstate Parkway | 15.1 mi | 17m |
| Aurora Expressway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| Varysburg Road | 10.9 mi | 15m |
| Big Tree Road | 10.5 mi | 15m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,201 veh/hr typical · worst 1,535
Quietest
2 AM
~81 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, NY and Wykagyl, 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 left at fork onto I 86; NY 17
Take the exit onto US 6
Enter roundabout
Continue
Merge onto Palisades Interstate Parkway
Take the exit
Merge onto I 87; I 287
Keep slight right at fork onto I 87
Take the exit
Turn straight onto NY 100
Take the ramp
Merge onto Cross County Parkway (local lanes)
Merge onto Hutchinson River Parkway
Take the exit
Continue on Webster Avenue
Arrive at destination
Starting your drive from Buffalo early in the morning will allow you to reach Wykagyl before evening, utilizing the 7h 59m estimated duration. With 2 recommended stops, you can plan for a break roughly every 3-4 hours to stretch and refuel. The longest stretch without a major exit is over 129 miles on I 86, so ensure you have adequate fuel before entering this section. Given this is a single-day drive with a reasonable fuel cost of $62, you have flexibility in your timing and stop choices.
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.
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 83 miles or 1h 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 189.4 miles or 4h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wykagyl, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Buffalo, NY
This is one driving day of about 378.8 miles and 7h 59m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
189 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 83 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 189.4 miles from Buffalo, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 86 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 129.9 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 0.4 and 373.7 — 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
Take the exit toward I 87 South, I 287 East: New York City, White Plains, New York State Thruway South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Cross County Parkway, Mile Square Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$61.56 one way
$123.12 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $66.63 | $133.27 |
| premium | $4.87 | $72.57 | $145.14 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $80.58 | $161.15 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.20
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
$62
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$88–$113
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 132.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 113.6 | 1 | $39.77 | $18.18 |
| Efficient EV | 94.7 | 1 | $33.14 | $15.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 151.5 | 1 | $53.03 | $24.24 |
Gas CO2
133 kg
EV CO2
44 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 Sunday
Local time
5:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in Wykagyl on Sunday
Local time
5:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
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
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
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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This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 81% of the journey utilizing major expressways like I 86. You'll experience long stretches of consistent speed, including a significant 129.9-mile segment on I 86. The character of the drive is largely defined by these high-speed corridors, offering a predictable and efficient travel experience for most of the trip. Expect minimal deviations from the expressway system as you make your way across the state.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 86 and Southern Tier Expressway. 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 28 significant decision points across 378.8 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.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Buffalo, NY and Wykagyl, NY, road signs point toward New York, Palisades Interstate Parkway South, White Plains and New York State Thruway South.
New York
Palisades Interstate Parkway South
White Plains
New York State Thruway South
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 59m. Total distance: 378.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 59m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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