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Trip from Central Valley, NY to New York City, 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 11m

Distance

52 mi

84 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

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

most populous city in the United States

New York City, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Central Valley, NY to New York City, NY is 52 miles and takes about 1 hour 11 minutes via NJ 17 and New York State Thruway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, moving from New York into New Jersey and back into New York, primarily utilizing major highways for most of the distance. It’s a straightforward commute that many people make on a daily basis, so expect typical traffic patterns. With only 1 recommended day, this is easily achievable as a single-day trip, allowing for flexibility in departure times.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NJ 17 22.7 mi 29m
New York State Thruway 13.7 mi 15m
NJ 3 4.2 mi 4m
Tonnelle Avenue 2.6 mi 3m
Holland Tunnel 2 mi 4m
State Route 32 1.3 mi 2m
NY 17 0.9 mi <1m
Conrail Viaduct 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: NJ 17 — 22.7 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Central Valley, NY and New York City, 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

23 mi · 29 min · NJ 17
Exit 66 Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah Use the slight left / straight lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward NJ 3 East: New York
11

Merge onto NJ 3

4.2 mi · 4 min · NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on US 1; US 9

2.5 mi · 3 min · Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto US 1; US 9

0.1 mi · 9 sec · Tonnelle Avenue
Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Tonnele Avenue, Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward Hoboken, Holland Tunnel Use the left lane.
15

Merge onto NJ 139

0.7 mi · 1 min · Conrail Viaduct
16

Continue on NJ 139

0.4 mi · 32 sec · 12th Street Viaduct
17

Continue on I 78

0.3 mi · 54 sec · 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Keep slight left at fork onto I 78

2.0 mi · 4 min · Holland Tunnel
Toward Holland Tunnel, Manhattan
19

Take the exit

305 ft · 10 sec
Toward Brooklyn Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Continue on Beach Street

121 ft · 7 sec · Beach Street
Toward Brooklyn, 6th Avenue, Walker Street Use the straight lane.
21

Turn slight right onto Walker Street

0.2 mi · 1 min · Walker Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22

Turn right onto Broadway

0.4 mi · 1 min · Broadway
Use the straight lane.
23

Arrive at destination

Broadway

Where to Stop

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

village in Rockland County, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chestnut Ridge, NY

26 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.

Popular next leg

Chestnut Ridge, NY to New York City, NY

31.8 mi · 47m

Pacing Suggestions

Sloatsburg, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Chestnut Ridge, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 47.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 87, NYST

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left / straight lanes. Toward I 87, NYST
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
47.7 mi into trip | ~1h in

Take the exit toward Hoboken, Holland Tunnel

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

Use the left lane. Toward Hoboken, Holland Tunnel

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.56 one way

$17.12 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $9.26 $18.51
premium $4.92 $10.08 $20.16
diesel $5.61 $11.48 $22.96

Estimated Tolls: $16.68

Holland Tunnel $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

$9

Tolls

$17

Total

$25

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.6 0 $5.46 $2.50
Efficient EV 13 0 $4.55 $2.08
EV Truck/SUV 20.8 0 $7.28 $3.33

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Central Valley, NY

Morning in Central Valley on Tuesday

Local time

10:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

New York City, NY

Morning in New York City on Tuesday

Local time

10:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

12 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 11m 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?

This route features a 57% highway share, meaning you'll spend a significant portion of the 52 miles on faster roads. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 22.7 miles on NJ 17. You'll transition from highway driving to surface roads as you approach your destination. Expect a mixed profile with periods of highway cruising followed by more typical surface road conditions with more frequent exits and intersections.

57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.7 mi on NJ 17.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 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 52 miles you will encounter 17 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 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; 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.

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 New York City, NY, road signs point toward Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway, Hoboken and Manhattan.

Jersey City

47.6 mi in | ~1h | via US 1; US 9

Pulaski Skyway

47.6 mi in | ~1h | via US 1; US 9

Hoboken

47.7 mi in | ~1h

Manhattan

49.3 mi in | ~1h 4m | via I 78

About the Cities

Starting in Central Valley, NY

Full guide →

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

Arriving in New York City, NY

Full guide →

“The City That Never Sleeps” · Founded 1624

New York (known as "The Big Apple", "NYC," and often called "New York City") is a global center for media, entertainment, art, fashion, research, finance, and trade. The bustling, cosmopolitan heart of the 4th largest metropolis in the world and by far the most populous city in the United States, New York has long been a key entry point and a defining city for the nation. From the Statue of Liberty in the harbor to the Empire State Building towering over the Manhattan skyline, from the tunnels of the subway to the riches of Wall Street, from the bright signs of Times Square to the naturalistic beauty of Central Park, and from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York's landmarks are quintessential American landmarks. The city's neighborhoods and streets are so iconic they have become ingrained into the American consciousness.

Top landmarks

  • Statue of Liberty — American icon in New York, United States
  • National September 11 Memorial & Museum — memorial & museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks
  • Plaza Hotel — hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City

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 11m. Total distance: 52 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 22.7 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 Holland 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.

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 New York City, 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 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; 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.

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