Origin
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Morning in Cold Spring Harbor on Sunday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cold Spring Harbor, NY to Jamaica, 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
42m
Distance
25.8 mi
42 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 25.8-mile drive from Cold Spring Harbor, NY to Jamaica, NY is a manageable day trip, taking approximately 42 minutes. You'll primarily travel on Northern Boulevard, Grand Central Parkway, and Northern State Parkway, with about 32% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $4, making it an economical option. The overall feel is a mixed drive, offering variety as you navigate through New York. Since it's a short distance, you won't need an overnight stay, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Boulevard | 12 mi | 18m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Northern State Parkway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Searingtown Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Harbor Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Service Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 164th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Northern Boulevard
— 12 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cold Spring Harbor, NY and Jamaica, NY.
1
Start on Spring
67 ft
·
4 sec
·
Spring
2
Turn right onto NY 25A
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Continue on NY 25A
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Harbor Road
4
Continue on NY 25A
12 mi
·
18 min
·
Northern Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto Searingtown Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Searingtown Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto North Service Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Service Road
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto Shelter Rock Road
371 ft
·
14 sec
·
Shelter Rock Road
Use the left lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward N West: New York
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto N
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Northern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on GCP
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 17
Toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto Grand Central Parkway
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Grand Central Parkway
13
Turn left onto 164th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
164th Street
14
At end of road, turn right onto NY 25
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Hillside Avenue
15
Turn left onto Parsons Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
Parsons Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto Jamaica Avenue
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Jamaica Avenue
17
Turn left onto 150th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
150th Street
18
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
19
Turn left onto Inwood Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Inwood Street
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way
56 ft
·
2 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Way
21
Arrive at destination
Tuskegee Airmen Way
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 14.3 and 25.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
14.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
North Service Road
Turn right onto North Service Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
15 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the ramp toward N West: New York
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward N West: New York
8
22.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17
Toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
6
24.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Parsons Boulevard
Turn left onto Parsons Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
25.6 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
Inwood Street
Turn left onto Inwood Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.19 one way
$8.39 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $4.54 | $9.08 |
| premium | $4.87 | $4.94 | $9.89 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $5.49 | $10.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.71 | $1.24 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Jamaica, NY
Morning in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 6 to 12 mph
3% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 15 at 11:57PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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
37 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
42m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed drive experience on this route. While 32% of your journey will be on highways like the Grand Central Parkway and Northern State Parkway, you'll also encounter significant stretches on surface streets such as Northern Boulevard. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 12 miles on Northern Boulevard, offering a consistent pace before transitioning to parkway driving. This blend means you'll experience both faster-paced driving and more varied road conditions as you travel from the North Shore to the heart of Queens.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12 mi on Northern Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 14.3 miles in near North Service Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 25.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 14.3 miles (North Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.9 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 Cold Spring Harbor, NY to Jamaica, NY, road signs begin pointing toward N West: New York along the way.
N West: New York
15 mi in
|
~24m
About the Cities
Starting in Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Full guide →Arriving in Jamaica, NY
Full guide →Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.
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 42m. Total distance: 25.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12 miles on Northern Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Jamaica, 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 14.3 miles (North Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area, African Burial Ground National Monument and Castle Clinton 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 Jamaica, 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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