Origin
Elmhurst, NY
Morning in Elmhurst on Tuesday
Local time
6:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmhurst, NY to Washington Heights, 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
21m
Distance
10.4 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmhurst, NY
Mel Audelo
Washington Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
Spanning just 10.4 miles, this quick trip from Elmhurst to Washington Heights is a straightforward commute across the city. You can expect the journey to take about 26 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. Since the transit is so brief, you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or heavy travel budgets, as fuel costs will hover around $2. Navigating this route involves a mix of local streets and major thoroughfares like Queens Boulevard and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Whether you are running errands or heading out for a local visit, this drive offers a practical way to connect two distinct Northeast neighborhoods.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harlem River Drive | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Queens Boulevard | 1 mi | 3m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West 179th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Broadway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Harlem River Drive
— 2.3 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmhurst, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
1
Start on Grand Avenue
90 ft
·
7 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Turn left onto NY 25
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Queens Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn slight right
216 ft
·
8 sec
4
Turn left onto Queens Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Queens Boulevard
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 278 East: Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
6
Merge onto I 278
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan, Bronx
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto GCP; I 278
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
9
Continue on I 278
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 46
Toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46
Toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
12
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
13
Keep slight right at fork
127 ft
·
3 sec
Toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward Harlem River Drive North
Use the slight right lane.
15
Merge onto HRD
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Harlem River Drive
16
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 24
Toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washington Bridge, Amsterdam Avenue, West 179 Street
Use the slight left lane.
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
Toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yeshiva University
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
18
Turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue
125 ft
·
9 sec
·
Amsterdam Avenue
19
Turn left onto West 179th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
West 179th Street
Toward G.W. Bridge, Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Museum
20
Turn right onto US 9
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Broadway
21
Arrive at destination
US 9
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 9.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
2.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan, Bronx
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan...
8
5.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
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 46
Toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
8
6.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street,...
8
9.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washington Bridge, Amsterdam Avenue, West 179 Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 24
Toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washingto...
8
9.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yeshiva University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yes...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.71 one way
$3.42 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.85 | $3.70 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.02 | $4.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.30 | $4.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.91 | $0.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.46 | $0.67 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Washington Heights, NY
Morning in Washington Heights on Tuesday
Local time
6:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°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
21m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. You will spend 0% of your time on open highways, as the route relies on urban arterials like I-278 East to navigate through the dense city grid. Because the entire 10.4-mile distance is concentrated in a busy metropolitan area, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of road. Instead, prepare for frequent turns and the constant engagement required by heavy traffic. This is a technical, low-speed drive that demands your full attention as you transition between local roads and the expressway segments.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Harlem River Drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in near I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 10.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Elmhurst, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Bronx, Randalls Island, Harlem River Drive North and Yeshiva University.
Manhattan
2.1 mi in
|
~5m
|
via I 278
Bronx
2.1 mi in
|
~5m
|
via I 278
Randalls Island
5.6 mi in
|
~12m
Harlem River Drive North
6.6 mi in
|
~14m
Yeshiva University
9.8 mi in
|
~19m
About the Cities
Arriving in Washington Heights, 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 21m. Total distance: 10.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Harlem River Drive. 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 Washington Heights, 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 2.1 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Washington Heights, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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