Cambridge, NY to Oyster Bay, NY is 206.2 miles and takes about 4h 36m via New York State Thruway, Northern Boulevard, and NJ 17, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, primarily traversing New York. The route offers a mix of highway cruising and surface road driving, making it a manageable one-day excursion. Plan for about 4.5 hours of actual driving time, not including any stops you might want to make along the way.
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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
103.1 miles from Cambridge, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 19m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
New York State Thruway
111.2 mi
2h 8m
Northern Boulevard
14.5 mi
24m
NJ 17
14.1 mi
18m
State Highway 67
10.9 mi
17m
I 787
10.5 mi
15m
NJ 4
6.7 mi
9m
Cross Bronx Expressway
6.6 mi
8m
South Park Street
5.3 mi
8m
Longest stretch:
New York State Thruway
— 111.2 mi, about 2h 8m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,026 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,234 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
3.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 21 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cambridge, NY and Oyster Bay, NY.
1
Start on Broad Street
56 ft·9 sec·Broad Street
2
Turn left onto 372
0.3 mi·42 sec·West Main Street
3
Turn right onto NY 22
5.3 mi·8 min·South Park Street
4
Turn right onto NY 67
11 mi·17 min·State Highway 67
5
Turn left onto CR 117
0.6 mi·1 min·State Street
6
Continue on CR 117
2.4 mi·4 min·Melrose-Valley Falls Road
7
Continue on CR 119
1.4 mi·1 min·CR 119 - Madigan Road
8
Turn slight right onto CR 117
1.5 mi·2 min·Melrose-Valley Falls Road
9
Turn straight onto NY 40
2.6 mi·4 min·State Highway 40
10
Continue on NY 40
1.1 mi·2 min·Speigletown Road
11
Continue on NY 40
518 ft·13 sec·Brickyard Road
12
Continue on NY 40
0.6 mi·1 min·Leversee Road
13
Turn right onto NY 40; NY 142
465 ft·18 sec·Plank Road
14
Turn left onto NY 40
3.4 mi·7 min·Oakwood Avenue
15
Continue on NY 40
392 ft·14 sec·10th Street
16
Turn right onto NY 7
513 ft·16 sec·Hoosick Street
Use the right lane.
17
Turn right onto I 787; NY 7
0.5 mi·42 sec·I 787; NY 7
18
Keep slight right at fork onto I 787
9.4 mi·13 min·I 787
Use the slight right lane.
19
Continue on I 787
0.6 mi·1 min·I 787
Exit 1Toward I 87 Toll: New York State Thruway
20
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 87 South: New York, Massachusetts Turnpike, Exits 22-1
21
Merge onto I 87
111 mi·2 hr 8 min·New York State Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17
0.9 mi·59 sec·NY 17
Exit 15Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New JerseyUse the slight right lane.
23
Continue on I 287; NJ 17
0.5 mi·39 sec·I 287; NJ 17
24
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17
14 mi·18 min·NJ 17
Exit 66Toward NJ 17 South: MahwahUse the slight left / straight lanes.
25
Take the exit
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York
26
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York
27
Merge onto NJ 4
0.3 mi·24 sec·NJ 4
Use the right lane.
28
Continue on NJ 4
6.4 mi·8 min·NJ 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Take the exit
0.2 mi·18 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
30
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
0.7 mi·54 sec·I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
0.8 mi·1 min·I 95 EXPR
32
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
0.6 mi·1 min·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
34
Continue on I 95; US 1
4.7 mi·6 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
35
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
2.0 mi·2 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6BToward I 295 South: Throgs Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
36
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi·58 sec·Throgs Neck Expressway
37
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
38
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·2 min·Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
39
Take the exit
0.2 mi·32 sec
Exit 5Toward NY 25A: Northern BoulevardUse the straight / slight right lanes.
40
Continue on Clearview Expressway
457 ft·17 sec·Clearview Expressway
41
Turn left onto NY 25A
15 mi·24 min·Northern Boulevard
Use the left lane.
42
Turn left onto NY 106
0.3 mi·29 sec·Jericho Oyster Bay Road
43
Turn straight onto NY 106
0.5 mi·46 sec·Oyster Bay Road
44
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 106
260 ft·4 sec·Oyster Bay Road
45
Continue on NY 106
0.9 mi·1 min·Pine Hollow Road
Use the left lane.
46
Continue on NY 106
105 ft·5 sec·South Street
47
Turn right onto Berry Hill Road
112 ft·9 sec·Berry Hill Road
48
Continue on Berry Hill Road
64 ft·2 sec·Berry Hill Road
49
Arrive at destination
Berry Hill Road
Trip Plan
For this 4.5-hour drive, an early morning departure is recommended to maximize daylight and minimize potential traffic delays. While it's a single-day trip, consider a brief stop around the halfway point to stretch your legs. The longest continuous stretch is 111.2 miles on the New York State Thruway, so plan your fuel needs accordingly before you get too far into that segment. Keep an eye on your GPS as you transition from the highway to Northern Boulevard and NJ 17, as this change can be a bit disorienting with multiple turns.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 103.1 miles from Cambridge, NY, or about 2h 19m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 111.2 miles.
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 45 miles or 1h 12m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.1 miles or 2h 19m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 39m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Oyster Bay, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cambridge, 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 Cambridge, NY
This is one driving day of about 206.2 miles and 4h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 miles from Cambridge, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on New York State Thruway for about 111.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 25
5 decision points cluster between mile 30.3 and 189.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
30.3 mi into trip|~51m in|NY 7 / Hoosick Street
Turn right onto NY 7 / Hoosick Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
9
152.6 mi into trip|~3h 16m in|NY 17
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17 toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
8
154 mi into trip|~3h 18m in|NJ 17
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17 toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 66
Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
8
183 mi into trip|~3h 58m in|I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
7
189.6 mi into trip|~4h 7m in
Take the exit toward NY 25A: Northern Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 5
Toward NY 25A: Northern Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$33.36 one way
$66.71 round trip
$4.11/gal25.4 MPG avg72 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.46
$36.20
$72.40
premium
$4.85
$39.36
$78.71
diesel
$4.80
$38.93
$77.87
Estimated Tolls: $28.11
George Washington Bridge
$16.00
Throgs Neck Bridge
$6.55
New York State Thruway
(111.2 mi)$5.56
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
$33
Tolls
$28
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$86–$111
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 72.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
61.9
0
$21.65
$9.90
Efficient EV
51.6
0
$18.04
$8.25
EV Truck/SUV
82.5
1
$28.87
$13.20
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jul 19, 2026
Origin
Cambridge, NY
Night
in Cambridge on Monday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
SW 9 mph68% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 18 at 8:21PM EDT until July 18 at 11:30PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 18 at 3:57PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Destination
Oyster Bay, NY
Night
in Oyster Bay on Monday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 10 to 14 mph86% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 18 at 8:21PM EDT until July 18 at 11:30PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 18 at 3:57PM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
13 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
4h 36m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
National Memorial
Merchant’s clerk, Revolutionary War soldier, first Secretary Treasury of the United States: Alexander Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Man...
2 mi from route
~5 min detour
Free
near mile 177.7
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict...
3 mi from route
~7 min detour
Free
near mile 177.7
In 1777, a large British invasion force met an equally large American army here at Saratoga. After two intense battles, an eight-mile retreat, and a three-day siege, British General John Burgoyne surr...
8 mi from route
~20 min detour
Free
near mile 14.2
Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for civil r...
9 mi from route
~21 min detour
Free
near mile 177.7
The African Burial Ground stands as the oldest and largest known excavated burial site in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It offers a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Af...
10 mi from route
~25 min detour
Free
near mile 177.7
Here at Federal Hall, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States, marking the beginning of the American constitutional republic. This historic site served as...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 177.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly on surface roads, with only 29% of the total 206.2 miles on highways. You'll experience a significant stretch of highway driving on the New York State Thruway for 111.2 miles before transitioning to more local roads. Expect frequent intersections and traffic lights once you leave the main highway. This transition means you'll be navigating through more populated areas with varying speed limits.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
49 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 111.2 mi on New York State Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 30.3 miles in near NY 7 / Hoosick Street.
Driving Effort10/10
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 25 significant decision points across 206.2 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 30.3 miles (NY 7 / Hoosick Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 152.6 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 154 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
556 ft-3 ft
Total Climb
648 ft
Total Descent
1,097 ft
Highest Point
556 ft
~117.8 mi in
Elevation Range
559 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Cambridge, NY and Oyster Bay, NY, road signs point toward Massachusetts Turnpike, Exits 22-1, Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee and New York.
Oyster Bay is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York.
The town of Oyster Bay comprises a large portion of eastern Nassau County and includes a slew of villages and other communities. This article covers North Oyster Bay – the area closest to Oyster Bay itself (in other words, everything that is north of the Long Island Expressway). See South Oyster Bay for the southern half of the town (in other words, the area south of the expressway). See the article for Glen Cove for communities in the northwest part of the town that are closest to that city.
Top landmarks
•Christ Church — historic Episcopal parish in Oyster Bay, New York, USA
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 36m. Total distance: 206.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 111.2 miles on New York State Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $28.11 in tolls one way, starting with George Washington Bridge. 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.
Yes — we found about 14 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Oyster Bay, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 14 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 30.3 miles (NY 7 / Hoosick Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 152.6 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 154 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Saratoga National Historical Park (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.6 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Oyster Bay, NY, but most travelers stay overnight.
