Origin
Douglaston, NY
Late night in Douglaston on Sunday
Local time
5:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Douglaston, NY to Jamaica, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
8.8 mi
14 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Douglaston, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 8.8-mile drive from Douglaston, NY to Jamaica, NY should take about 17 minutes, making it a very manageable trip. It's primarily a highway-focused journey, with 78% of the route utilizing major roadways like the Long Island Expressway, Union Turnpike, and Utopia Parkway. Given its brevity, this route is ideal as a single-day trip within the Northeast region of New York. Expect a fuel cost of around $1 for this journey. The overall feel is that of efficient travel between two points in a busy urban and suburban area.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Union Turnpike | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Utopia Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Van Wyck Expressway West | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Douglaston Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Inwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 2.5 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Douglaston, NY and Jamaica, 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
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 25
Toward Utopia Parkway, 164th Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto Horace Harding Expressway
459 ft
·
9 sec
·
Horace Harding Expressway
8
Turn left onto Utopia Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Utopia Parkway
9
Turn right onto Union Turnpike
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Union Turnpike
10
Turn left onto Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
11
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto Liberty Avenue
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Turn right onto Inwood Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Inwood Street
16
Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way
56 ft
·
2 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Way
17
Arrive at destination
Tuskegee Airmen Way
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 7.3 — 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
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 495 / Long Island Expressway
Merge onto I 495 / Long Island Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
3.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward Utopia Parkway, 164th Street
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 25
Toward Utopia Parkway, 164th Street
8
7.3 mi into trip
|
~14m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.45 one way
$2.90 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.57 | $3.13 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.71 | $3.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.94 | $3.89 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.10
Union Turnpike
(1.4 mi)
$0.10
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Tolls
$0
Total
$2
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 | 2.6 | 0 | $0.92 | $0.42 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.77 | $0.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
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
Jamaica, NY
Late night in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
5:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°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
17m 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?
Prepare for a drive that leans heavily into highway conditions, with 78% of the 8.8 miles on main roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.5 miles on the Long Island Expressway, offering a period of consistent speed. While largely a highway-focused profile, the transition onto and off of these main arteries will involve navigating local traffic. The route's character is one of directness, prioritizing getting you from point A to point B efficiently within the New York landscape.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.5 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 Union Turnpike. 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 13 decision points packed into just 8.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
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 1.3 miles (I 495 / Long Island Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Douglaston, NY to Jamaica, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Manhattan along the way.
Manhattan
0.9 mi in
|
~2m
About the Cities
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 17m. Total distance: 8.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.5 miles on Long Island Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.10 in tolls one way, starting with Union Turnpike. 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 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 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 1.3 miles (I 495 / Long Island Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Castle Clinton 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 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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