Origin
City Island, NY
Morning in City Island on Sunday
Local time
10:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from City Island, NY to Queens, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
17.3 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
City Island, NY
Clément Proust
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
City Island, NY to Queens, NY is 17.3 miles and takes about 33 minutes via Van Wyck Expressway and Whitestone Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's primarily a highway drive, making it a quick transit rather than a scenic exploration. Consider this route for efficient travel between these two boroughs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wyck Expressway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Hutchinson River Parkway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Liberty Avenue | 1.5 mi | 4m |
| Bronx-Whitestone Bridge | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Hutchinson River Expressway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| City Island Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Van Wyck Expressway West | 0.9 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Van Wyck Expressway
— 4.3 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between City Island, NY and Queens, NY.
1
Start on City Island Avenue
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
City Island Avenue
2
Continue on City Island Bridge
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
City Island Bridge
3
Continue on City Island Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
City Island Road
4
Enter roundabout onto City Island Road
465 ft
·
8 sec
·
City Island Road
5
Continue on City Island Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
City Island Road
6
At end of road, turn left onto Shore Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Shore Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on Pe
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Pelham Parkway
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward Hutchinson Parkway South, Whitestone Bridge, Queens
9
Merge onto HR
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Hutchinson River Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 678
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Hutchinson River Expressway
11
Continue on I 678
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
12
Continue on I 678
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Whitestone Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 678
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
Use the slight left lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 6
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
Use the right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
1.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Turn left onto 104th Street
205 ft
·
9 sec
·
104th Street
19
Arrive at destination
104th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 3.4 and 15.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
HR / Hutchinson River Parkway
Merge onto HR / Hutchinson River Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
8
14.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 6
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlanti...
9
14.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
6
15.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.81 one way
$5.62 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $3.04 | $6.09 |
| premium | $4.87 | $3.31 | $6.63 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $3.68 | $7.36 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Whitestone Bridge
$6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$7
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
Queens, NY
Morning in Queens on Sunday
Local time
10:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
3 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
33m 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 is mostly highway, with 63% of the 17.3 miles on expressways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 4.3 miles on the Van Wyck Expressway. Beyond the expressways, the drive transitions to surface streets for the remaining portion. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate the urban environment.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.3 mi on Van Wyck Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Van Wyck Expressway and Whitestone Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.4 miles in near HR / Hutchinson River Parkway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles (HR / Hutchinson River Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from City Island, NY to Queens, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Hutchinson Parkway South along the way.
Hutchinson Parkway South
3.2 mi in
|
~8m
About the Cities
Arriving in Queens, NY
Full guide →Founded 1683
Queens is a crescent-shaped (with a tail) borough traversing the north-to-south width of Long Island and including two of the major New York City area airports, LaGuardia (LGA IATA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK IATA). It also carries the largest ethnic diversity in its area of any region in the world, with many small enclaves. Jackson Heights, for example, includes a huge Indian area, followed by a Colombian area, and then a Mexican area. Each offers a wide array of authentic shops, native-style cuisine, and festivals modified only slightly by the generally colder New York City experience.
Top landmarks
- • Queensboro Bridge — bridge in New York City
- • Unisphere — Steel structure in Queens, New York
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 33m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.3 miles on Van Wyck Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $6.55 in tolls one way, starting with Whitestone 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 Queens, 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 3.4 miles (HR / Hutchinson River Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and African Burial Ground National Monument (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Queens, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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