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Trip from Central Valley, NY to Manhattan, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

47.7 mi

77 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 5m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Central Valley, NY, NY

Central Valley, NY

Olivia Chen

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Central Valley, NY to Manhattan, NY is 47.7 miles and takes about 1h 7m via NJ 17 and New York State Thruway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a fairly direct drive that's mostly highway, making it a straightforward option for getting into the city. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day, offering flexibility for your departure time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NJ 17 14.1 mi 18m
New York State Thruway 13.7 mi 15m
NJ 4 6.7 mi 9m
Henry Hudson Parkway 4.2 mi 6m
I 95 EXPR 1.5 mi 2m
State Route 32 1.3 mi 2m
NY 17 0.9 mi <1m
I 287 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: NJ 17 — 14.1 mi, about 18m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Central Valley, NY and Manhattan, NY.

1

Start on CR 9

64 ft · 5 sec · Smith Clove Road
2

Turn left onto NY 32

1.2 mi · 2 min · State Route 32
3

Continue on NY 32

484 ft · 15 sec · State Route 32
Toward NY 17 South Use the straight lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 57 sec
Toward I 87, NYST Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.9 mi · 1 min
Toward I 87 Toll South: New York City Use the slight right lane.
6

Merge onto I 87

14 mi · 15 min · New York State Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17

0.9 mi · 59 sec · NY 17
Exit 15 Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey Use the slight right lane.
8

Continue on I 287; NJ 17

0.5 mi · 39 sec · I 287; NJ 17
9

Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17

14 mi · 18 min · NJ 17
Exit 66 Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah Use the slight left / straight lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 19 sec
Toward NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York
12

Merge onto NJ 4

0.3 mi · 24 sec · NJ 4
Use the right lane.
13

Continue on NJ 4

6.4 mi · 8 min · NJ 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 18 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge Use the straight / slight left lanes.
15

Merge onto I 95 EXPR

0.7 mi · 54 sec · I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR

0.8 mi · 1 min · I 95 EXPR
17

Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9

0.5 mi · 45 sec · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
18

Take the exit onto US 9

0.1 mi · 13 sec · US 9
Exit 1A Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th Street Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 47 sec
Toward NY 9A South: Henry Hudson Parkway, Downtown Use the straight lane.
21

Merge onto HH; NY 9A

4.2 mi · 6 min · Henry Hudson Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward Boat Basin, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Children's Museum Of Manhattan, JCC in Manhattan, Lincoln Center, New York Historical Society, New York Institute of Technology Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23

Continue on West 79th Street

0.2 mi · 51 sec · West 79th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
24

Turn left onto Broadway

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Broadway
25

Turn right onto West 86th Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · West 86th Street
26

Continue on 86th Street Transverse

0.2 mi · 35 sec · 86th Street Transverse
Toward East Side Use the straight / left lanes.
27

Arrive at destination

86th Street Transverse

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Rockland County, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ramapo, NY

24 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

Sloatsburg, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ramapo, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.9 miles from Central Valley, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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 21

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 41.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
1.8 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 87 Toll South: New York City

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 87 Toll South: New York City
9
16.4 mi into trip | ~21m 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
17.8 mi into trip | ~22m 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
41.3 mi into trip | ~55m in | US 9

Take the exit onto US 9 toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 1A Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, West 178th...
8
41.7 mi into trip | ~56m in

Keep slight left at fork toward NY 9A South: Henry Hudson Parkway, Downtown

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight lane. Toward NY 9A South: Henry Hudson Parkway, Downt...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.85 one way

$15.70 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $8.49 $16.98
premium $4.92 $9.25 $18.49
diesel $5.61 $10.53 $21.06

Estimated Tolls: $16.68

George Washington Bridge $16.00
New York State Thruway (13.7 mi) $0.68

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$17

Total

$25

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.3 0 $5.01 $2.29
Efficient EV 11.9 0 $4.17 $1.91
EV Truck/SUV 19.1 0 $6.68 $3.05

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Central Valley, NY

Morning in Central Valley on Tuesday

Local time

10:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Manhattan, NY

Morning in Manhattan on Tuesday

Local time

10:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Ramapo, NY

24 mi in

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

5 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 7m 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?

You'll spend about 61% of this 47.7-mile drive on the highway. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 14.1 miles on NJ 17. Expect a significant portion of your travel to be on high-speed roads, with transitions to local routes as you approach your destination. You'll likely notice the increased density of exits and merging traffic as you get closer to Manhattan.

61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.1 mi on NJ 17.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 17 and New York State Thruway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.7 miles you will encounter 21 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.8 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Central Valley, NY and Manhattan, NY, road signs point toward Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York and Downtown.

Gsp South: Paterson

31.8 mi in | ~41m

Fort Lee

31.8 mi in | ~41m

New York

31.8 mi in | ~41m

Downtown

41.7 mi in | ~56m

About the Cities

Starting in Central Valley, NY

Full guide →

Central Valley and Harriman are neighboring towns in Orange County, New York.

Arriving in Manhattan, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1624

Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.

Top landmarks

  • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA

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 1h 7m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14.1 miles on NJ 17. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $16.68 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.

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 Manhattan, 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 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.8 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Manhattan, 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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