Origin
Elmont, NY
Late night in Elmont on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmont, 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
14m
Distance
8.6 mi
14 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmont, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 8.6-mile drive from Elmont, NY to Jamaica, NY is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 14 minutes. The journey primarily utilizes the Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway, offering a straightforward route within the Northeast region. With a minimal fuel cost estimated at just $1, this is a budget-friendly option for getting between these two New York locations. The drive is focused on efficient travel, making it ideal for quick transit rather than an extended scenic excursion. You'll be on your way in no time, covering this distance with ease.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Belt Parkway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Elmont Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Cross Island Parkway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Linden Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Inwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Van Wyck Expressway East | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Belt Parkway
— 4.1 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmont, NY and Jamaica, NY.
1
Start on Elmont Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Elmont Road
2
Turn right onto Linden Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Linden Boulevard
3
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward Belt Parkway West, Kennedy Airport
4
Merge onto CI
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
Cross Island Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Continue on BP
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Belt Parkway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto BP
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto BP
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
11
Continue on I 678
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
504 ft
·
15 sec
Exit 4
Toward Liberty Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on Van Wyck Expressway East
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway East
14
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 8.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
BP / Belt Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
BP / Belt Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
5.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whites...
7
8.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward Liberty Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4
Toward Liberty Avenue
7
8.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.42 one way
$2.83 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.53 | $3.06 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.67 | $3.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.90 | $3.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 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 | $0.90 | $0.41 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.75 | $0.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.20 | $0.55 |
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
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Partly Sunny
S 12 mph
3% chance
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
38 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
14m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused experience for about 66% of this drive. You'll navigate stretches of the Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway, which are designed for higher speeds and efficient travel. The longest uninterrupted segment on the Belt Parkway spans 4.1 miles, offering a consistent driving pace. While largely a highway drive, the initial part on Elmont Road will introduce you to more local road conditions before merging onto the expressways. This route prioritizes getting you to your destination quickly over winding scenic byways.
66% 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: 4.1 mi on Belt Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.1 miles in near BP / Belt Parkway.
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 12 decision points packed into just 8.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 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 Elmont, NY and Jamaica, NY, road signs point toward Belt Parkway West and Kennedy Airport.
Belt Parkway West
1.2 mi in
|
~2m
Kennedy Airport
1.2 mi in
|
~2m
About the Cities
Starting in Elmont, NY
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • St. Paul's German Presbyterian Church and Cemetery — Historic church and cemetery
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 14m. Total distance: 8.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.1 miles on Belt Parkway. 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 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 3.1 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area, African Burial Ground National Monument and Stonewall National Monument (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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