Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 31m
Distance
165.2 mi
266 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$28
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bushwick, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Rotterdam, NY
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Bushwick, NY to Rotterdam, NY covers 165.2 miles and takes about 3h 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NY 17, NJ 17, NJ 4 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 117.5 miles on NY 17. At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.71 one way before food or hotel costs.
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
82.6 miles from Bushwick, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 52m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NY 17 | 117.5 mi | 2h 15m |
| NJ 17 | 14.7 mi | 18m |
| NJ 4 | 6.7 mi | 9m |
| New York State Thruway | 6.1 mi | 7m |
| Curry Road | 2.8 mi | 6m |
| Harlem River Drive | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Flushing Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,060 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,244 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
3.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 72 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Bushwick, NY and Rotterdam, NY.
Start on Linden Street
Turn left onto Cypress Avenue
Turn right onto Flushing Avenue
Turn straight onto Grand Avenue
Turn left onto 69th Street
Turn left onto Queens Boulevard
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 278
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
Merge onto GCP; I 278
Continue on I 278
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto HRD
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto NJ 4
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on I 287; NY 17
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
Take the exit
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on NY 7
Enter roundabout onto NY 7
Continue on NY 7
Continue on NY 7
Turn right onto CR 160
Arrive at destination
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 36 miles or 58m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 82.6 miles or 1h 52m 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 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rotterdam, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Bushwick, 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 Bushwick, NY
This is one driving day of about 165.2 miles and 3h 31m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
83 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 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 82.6 miles from Bushwick, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before NY 17 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 117.5 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 5.4 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan, Bronx
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washington Bridge (Upper Level)
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$27.71 one way
$55.41 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.63 | $30.09 | $60.17 |
| premium | $5.05 | $32.86 | $65.73 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $36.42 | $72.83 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.30
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
$28
Tolls
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 57.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 49.6 | 0 | $17.35 | $7.93 |
| Efficient EV | 41.3 | 0 | $14.46 | $6.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 66.1 | 0 | $23.13 | $10.57 |
Gas CO2
58 kg
EV CO2
19 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
Evening in Bushwick on Friday
Local time
7:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Evening in Rotterdam on Friday
Local time
7:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Rain Showers Likely
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.
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
165.2 mi in 3h 31m, mostly highway — 117.5 mi of that is on NY 17.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NY 17 and NJ 17. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.4 miles in near I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
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 32 significant decision points across 165.2 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 5.4 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
940 ft
Total Descent
641 ft
Highest Point
516 ft
~70.8 mi in
Elevation Range
514 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bushwick, NY and Rotterdam, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Randalls Island, Harlem River Drive North, Njtp South: Hackensack, Gsp South and Gsp North - among others.
Manhattan
Randalls Island
Harlem River Drive North
Njtp South: Hackensack
Gsp South
Gsp North
Newark
Mahwah
New York State Thruway North: Albany
Founded 1661
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 31m. Total distance: 165.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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