Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
12.7 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clayton, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Thousand Island Park, NY
Victor Huang
Clayton, NY to Thousand Island Park, NY is 12.7 miles and takes about 23 minutes via State Street and I 81, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York and connects two points in the Northeast region. The profile suggests you'll mostly be on surface roads, making it a straightforward and quick connection. It's ideal for a brief excursion, offering a simple drive without major navigation challenges.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Street | 7 mi | 10m |
| County Road 100 | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| I 81 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| County Road 191 | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Thousand Island Park Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Rainbow Street East | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| John Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Coast Avenue East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Clayton, NY and Thousand Island Park, NY.
Start on Park Circle
Turn right onto John Street
At end of road, turn left onto NY 12
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 81
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
Take the exit
Turn right onto CR 191
Turn right onto CR 100
Continue on CR 100
Continue on CR 100
Continue on Coast Avenue East
Continue on Rainbow Street East
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 10 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto John Street
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto NY 12 / State Street
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward Island State Parks
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Turn right onto CR 100 / Westminster Park Road
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$2.22 one way
$4.45 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.82 | $2.41 | $4.82 |
| premium | $5.23 | $2.62 | $5.23 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.11 | $0.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.81 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Clayton on Tuesday
Local time
6:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in Thousand Island Park on Tuesday
Local time
6:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is predominantly surface roads, with only about 13% on the highway. You'll experience a longest stretch of 7 miles on State Street before transitioning. Expect limited highway driving, meaning most of your travel will be at lower speeds on local roads. The transition from highway to surface roads is likely to be smooth, with few exits to manage.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near John Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (John Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (NY 12 / State Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.9 miles (I 81): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
32 ft
Total Descent
44 ft
Highest Point
288 ft
~7.2 mi in
Elevation Range
17 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Clayton, NY to Thousand Island Park, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Island State Parks along the way.
Island State Parks
Clayton (population 1,700 in 2020) and Alexandria Bay (pop. 900 in 2020) are small villages in northern New York which, along with Cape Vincent (pop. 2,800 in 2016) serve as US points of access to the Thousand Islands.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 12.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (13%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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