Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
37.6 mi
60 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Copiague, NY
Peter Olexa
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Copiague, NY to Manhattan, NY covers 37.6 miles and takes about 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Sunrise Highway, Van Wyck Expressway, Long Island Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.7 miles on Sunrise Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.11 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 16.7 mi | 21m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5 mi | 6m |
| Long Island Expressway | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Belt Parkway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Oak Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Queensboro Plaza | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Madison Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Copiague, NY and Manhattan, NY.
Start on Marconi Boulevard
Turn left onto CR 47
Turn right onto Oak Street
Continue on Old Sunrise Highway
Merge onto NY 27
Take the exit
Merge onto BP
Keep slight left at fork onto BP
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on I 678
Take the exit
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
Continue on Van Dam Street
Turn left onto NY 25
Continue on NY 25
Continue on NY 25
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25
Turn left onto East 60th Street
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
Turn right onto Madison Avenue
Turn left onto East 85th Street
Continue on 86th Street Transverse
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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.
A short stop after about 37.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 18.8 miles from Copiague, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 20.6 and 35.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25 toward 60th Street West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$6.11 one way
$12.22 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $6.61 | $13.23 |
| premium | $4.87 | $7.20 | $14.41 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $8.00 | $16.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.26 | $2.41 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Copiague on Sunday
Local time
5:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Manhattan on Sunday
Local time
5:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Partly Sunny
56°F
Jamaica, NY
19 mi in
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.
37.6 mi in 59m — 31% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Sunrise Highway.
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 20.6 miles in near BP / Belt Parkway.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 21 decision points packed into just 37.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 20.6 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Copiague, NY and Manhattan, NY, road signs point toward Belt Parkway West and 60Th Street West.
Belt Parkway West
60Th Street West
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 37.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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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