Origin
Cedarhurst, NY
Late night in Cedarhurst on Tuesday
Local time
5:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cedarhurst, NY to Syracuse, 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
5h 35m
Distance
268.1 mi
431 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$44
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 22m
★
6 AM
5h 36m
8 AM
6h 2m
10 AM
5h 45m
12 PM
5h 42m
3 PM
5h 46m
5 PM
6h 1m
8 PM
5h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cedarhurst, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Syracuse, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 268.1-mile drive from Cedarhurst, NY, to Syracuse, NY, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 5 hours and 35 minutes of pure driving time. The majority of this trip, 73% to be exact, is spent on highways, making it a focused journey through New York State. With a fuel cost estimated at $44, this route is an efficient option for traversing from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. You'll primarily be on I-81, the Christopher Columbus Highway, and I-380. This straightforward itinerary is well-suited for a day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stop.
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
134 miles from Cedarhurst, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 56m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 81 | 128.5 mi | 2h 31m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 44.6 mi | 52m |
| I 380 | 27.7 mi | 30m |
| Keystone Shortway | 17.3 mi | 24m |
| US 46 | 10.8 mi | 12m |
| NJ 3 | 10.2 mi | 12m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5 mi | 6m |
| Long Island Expressway | 4.8 mi | 7m |
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 128.5 mi, about 2h 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cedarhurst, NY and Syracuse, NY.
1
Start on Cedarhurst Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Cedarhurst Avenue
2
Turn left onto West Broadway
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
West Broadway
3
Turn right onto Rockaway Turnpike
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Rockaway Turnpike
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on Rockaway Boulevard
2.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn straight onto NY 878
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Nassau Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Bronx
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
9
Continue on I 678
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
Exit 12B
Toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 495
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 17W
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel, Manhattan
Use the slight left lane.
14
Merge onto I 495
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Queens-Midtown Tunnel
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward Crosstown, 37th Street
Use the slight left lane.
17
Turn slight left onto East 37th Street
1.1 mi
·
3 min
·
East 37th Street
Use the slight left lane.
18
Take the ramp
474 ft
·
11 sec
Toward Lincoln Tunnel
19
Turn right
342 ft
·
11 sec
Use the right lane.
20
Merge onto NY 495
105 ft
·
4 sec
·
Lincoln Tunnel Expressway
21
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 495
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Lincoln Tunnel Expressway
Toward Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
22
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
Toward NJ 3 West: Secaucus
Use the slight right lane.
23
Keep slight left at fork
453 ft
·
7 sec
Toward NJ 3 West: Clifton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Merge onto NJ 3
10 mi
·
12 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Merge onto US 46
11 mi
·
12 min
·
US 46
Use the straight lane.
26
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 80 West: Dover, Del Water Gap
27
Continue on I 80W
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate 80 West
Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
28
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 80 West: Delaware Water Gap
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
29
Merge onto I 80
45 mi
·
52 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Keystone Shortway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Keystone Shortway
32
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 293
Toward I 380 North: Scranton
33
Continue on I 380
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 380
Use the straight lane.
34
Merge onto I 81
58 mi
·
1 hr 9 min
·
I 81
Use the straight lane.
35
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
I 81
Toward I 81 North: Syracuse, Albany
36
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
66 mi
·
1 hr 17 min
·
I 81
Toward I 81 North: Syracuse
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 81
Toward Syracuse
Use the straight lane.
38
Continue on I-81
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
I-81
39
Continue on I 81
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 81
40
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward Adams Street, Harrison Street
Use the slight right lane.
41
Continue on Almond Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Almond Street
Use the left / slight left / straight / right lanes.
42
Turn left onto NY 92
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Genesee Street
43
At end of road, turn right onto US 11
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
South State Street
44
Arrive at destination
US 11
Trip Plan
Given the 5-hour and 35-minute estimated duration, starting your trip from Cedarhurst, NY, earlier in the morning is advisable to maximize daylight. While you'll only need one planned stop, consider breaking up the 128.5-mile stretch on I-81 for a fuel or rest break. The $44 fuel cost is a reasonable estimate, but always factor in potential fluctuations. This route is manageable in one day, so you have flexibility in your departure time. Keep an eye on traffic conditions, especially as you approach more populated areas within New York.
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 134 miles from Cedarhurst, NY, or about 2h 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 128.5 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 59 miles or 1h 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 134 miles or 2h 56m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 38m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Syracuse, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cedarhurst, 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 Cedarhurst, NY
This is one driving day of about 268.1 miles and 5h 35m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 59 miles from Cedarhurst, 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 I 81 for about 128.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
134 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 59 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 134 miles from Cedarhurst, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 81 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 128.5 miles.
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 365 decision points cluster between mile 11.1 and 24.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
11.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 12B
Toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
7
15.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 17W
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
8
16.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel, Manhattan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel, Manhattan
8
19.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Crosstown, 37th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Crosstown, 37th Street
8
24.8 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 3 West: Clifton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 3 West: Clifton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.13 one way
$88.26 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
94 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $47.72 | $95.44 |
| premium | $4.92 | $51.96 | $103.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $59.19 | $118.39 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.06
Lincoln Tunnel
$16.00
Rockaway Turnpike
(0.8 mi)
$0.06
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
$44
Tolls
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$85–$110
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 93.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $28 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 80.4 | 0 | $28.15 | $12.87 |
| Efficient EV | 67 | 0 | $23.46 | $10.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 107.2 | 1 | $37.53 | $17.16 |
Gas CO2
94 kg
EV CO2
31 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Syracuse, NY
Late night in Syracuse on Tuesday
Local time
5:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
W 10 mph
67% chance
Live forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 14 at 5:13PM EDT until April 14 at 6:15PM EDT by NWS Albany NY
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued April 14 at 2:52PM EDT until April 14 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
63°F
Ramapo, NY
134 mi in
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
31 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
5h 35m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this 268.1-mile journey, with 73% of the route utilizing major interstates like I-81 and I-380. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 128.5 miles on I-81, offering a consistent pace. This profile suggests a predominantly fast-paced experience, with fewer opportunities for leisurely exploration off the main arteries. While it's a highway-centric route, the Christopher Columbus Highway may offer some variation before you merge onto the interstates.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
44 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 128.5 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and Christopher Columbus Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 36 significant decision points across 268.1 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 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Cedarhurst, NY and Syracuse, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Crosstown, Del Water Gap, Mahwah and Albany.
Manhattan
16.1 mi in
|
~27m
Crosstown
19.3 mi in
|
~33m
Del Water Gap
45.8 mi in
|
~1h 10m
Mahwah
46.1 mi in
|
~1h 10m
|
via I 80W
Albany
196.3 mi in
|
~4h 10m
|
via I 81
About the Cities
Starting in Cedarhurst, NY
Full guide →Arriving in Syracuse, NY
Full guide →Founded 1848
Syracuse is a city in Central New York. With a population of 149,000 in city proper and 662,000 in its metro area (2020), Syracuse is the fifth largest city in the state of New York, and the third largest in Upstate New York.
Top landmarks
- • Oncenter War Memorial Arena — arena in Syracuse, New York
- • Everson Museum of Art — art museum in Syracuse, New York
- • Niagara Mohawk Building — historic commercial building in New York, United States
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 5h 35m. Total distance: 268.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 128.5 miles on I 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $16.06 in tolls one way, starting with Lincoln Tunnel. 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.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Syracuse, 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. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.6 hours each way, a round trip means 11.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Syracuse, NY before the return drive.
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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