Origin
Elmhurst, NY
Evening in Elmhurst on Sunday
Local time
5:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmhurst, NY to Far Rockaway, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
14.1 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmhurst, NY
Mel Audelo
Far Rockaway, NY
Julian Bracero
Trip Overview
Elmhurst, NY to Far Rockaway, NY is 14.1 miles and takes about 26 minutes via Rockaway Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. The drive is a mixed bag, offering a bit of highway cruising followed by more local road navigation. It's a straightforward journey that's ideal for a quick hop, especially if you're looking to avoid longer, more complex routes. You'll find it's a practical option for a same-day excursion with minimal planning needed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Rockaway Boulevard | 4.5 mi | 9m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Long Island Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Nassau Expressway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Queens Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Beach Channel Drive | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Rockaway Boulevard
— 4.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmhurst, NY and Far Rockaway, NY.
1
Start on Grand Avenue
42 ft
·
4 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Turn right onto Queens Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Queens Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 495
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Long Island Expressway
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 22A-E
Toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 22A
Toward Grand Central Parkway East
7
Merge onto GCP
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 13
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
9
Merge onto I 678
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 2
Toward Rockaway Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway
191 ft
·
10 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway
12
Turn left onto Rockaway Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto NY 878
2.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on Rockaway Turnpike
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Rockaway Turnpike
15
Keep slight right at fork onto Nassau Expressway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Nassau Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Burnside Avenue
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
Burnside Avenue
Use the right lane.
17
Continue on Sheridan Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
18
Continue on Sheridan Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
19
Continue on Beach Channel Drive
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
Beach Channel Drive
20
Arrive at destination
Beach Channel Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 11.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, East...
8
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 22A-E
Toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck E...
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 13
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kenned...
7
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward Rockaway Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 2
Toward Rockaway Boulevard
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Nassau Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto Nassau Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.32 one way
$4.64 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.51 | $5.02 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.73 | $5.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.11 | $6.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Far Rockaway, NY
Evening in Far Rockaway on Sunday
Local time
5:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
11 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
26m 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?
This drive presents a mixed profile, with about 40% of the journey utilizing highway sections like the Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway. You'll experience some faster-paced driving on these stretches before transitioning onto more surface-level roads. The longest continuous segment without a significant change in road type is approximately 4.5 miles along Rockaway Boulevard. Expect a blend of urban and suburban driving as you make your way towards your destination, with varying traffic patterns likely depending on the time of day.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.5 mi on Rockaway Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Elmhurst, NY and Far Rockaway, NY, road signs point toward Grand Central Parkway East and Kennedy Airport.
Grand Central Parkway East
2 mi in
|
~4m
Kennedy Airport
3.6 mi in
|
~6m
About the Cities
Arriving in Far Rockaway, NY
Full guide →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 26m. Total distance: 14.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). 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 4.5 miles on Rockaway 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 Far Rockaway, 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 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Far Rockaway, 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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