Origin
Douglaston, NY
Late night in Douglaston on Tuesday
Local time
4:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Douglaston, NY to Elmhurst, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
8.9 mi
14 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Douglaston, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Elmhurst, NY
Mel Audelo
Trip Overview
This short, 8.9-mile journey from Douglaston, NY, to Elmhurst, NY, is designed for a single day trip, requiring just about 15 minutes of driving time. The route primarily utilizes the Long Island Expressway, with brief segments on Douglaston Parkway and Queens Boulevard, making it a highway-focused experience. With an estimated fuel cost of just $1, this drive is incredibly budget-friendly. Given its brevity, you won't need an overnight stay. Both the origin and destination are within New York's Northeast region, offering a straightforward transition between two points in the same state.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 6.3 mi | 8m |
| Douglaston Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Queens Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Poplar Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Grand Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 6.3 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Douglaston, NY and Elmhurst, NY.
1
Start on Poplar Street
174 ft
·
14 sec
·
Poplar Street
2
Turn left onto Douglaston Parkway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Douglaston Parkway
3
Take the ramp
523 ft
·
12 sec
Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West Manhattan
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 495 West: Manhattan
Use the straight lane.
5
Merge onto I 495
6.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 19
Toward NY 25: Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways, 69th Street, Grand Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
Toward NY 25: Queens Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto Queens Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Queens Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Turn left onto Grand Avenue
137 ft
·
8 sec
·
Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
Grand Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 8.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West Manhattan
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West...
8
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 West: Manhattan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 495 West: Manhattan
8
7.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward NY 25: Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways, 69th Street, Grand Avenue
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 19
Toward NY 25: Woodhaven Boulevard, Rockaways, 6...
7
8.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NY 25: Queens Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NY 25: Queens Boulevard
6
8.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Grand Avenue
Turn left onto Grand Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.46 one way
$2.93 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.58 | $3.17 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.72 | $3.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.97 | $3.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.93 | $0.43 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.78 | $0.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Elmhurst, NY
Late night in Elmhurst on Tuesday
Local time
4:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°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
5 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
15m 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?
Expect a drive that is predominantly highway, with 82% of the route on faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.3 miles along the Long Island Expressway, offering a consistent pace. While the majority of the drive is on these main arteries, you'll experience brief shifts as you transition onto Douglaston Parkway and Queens Boulevard. This highway-focused profile means you'll be navigating traffic and interchanges common to major New York roadways.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.3 mi on Long Island Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Douglaston Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
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 8 decision points packed into just 8.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 15m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 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.
Between Douglaston, NY and Elmhurst, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan and Rockaways.
Manhattan
0.9 mi in
|
~2m
Rockaways
7.7 mi in
|
~11m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 8.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.3 miles on Long Island Expressway. 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 Elmhurst, 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 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Stonewall National Monument, African Burial Ground National Monument and Federal Hall National Memorial (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 Elmhurst, 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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