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Trip from Eltingville, 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

53m

Distance

30.9 mi

50 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Eltingville, NY, NY

Eltingville, NY

Peter Olexa

neighborhood of Queens, New York City, United States

Jamaica, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Eltingville to Jamaica is 30.9 miles and takes about 53 minutes via Belt Parkway and Staten Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a relatively short trip, primarily focused on efficient travel through urban and suburban landscapes. Given its duration, this route is easily manageable as a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and minimal need for extensive planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Belt Parkway 14.5 mi 21m
Staten Island Expressway 3.9 mi 5m
Forest Hill Road 2.9 mi 7m
Richmond Avenue 1.8 mi 4m
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge 1.3 mi 1m
Van Wyck Expressway 1.2 mi 1m
Nassau Expressway 1.1 mi 1m
South Gannon Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Belt Parkway — 14.5 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Eltingville, NY and Jamaica, NY.

1

Start on Richmond Avenue

1.8 mi · 4 min · Richmond Avenue
Use the straight lane.
2

Turn right onto Forest Hill Road

2.9 mi · 7 min · Forest Hill Road
3

Continue on Woolley Avenue

0.3 mi · 50 sec · Woolley Avenue
4

Turn right onto South Gannon Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Gannon Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Toward I 278 East: Staten Island Expressway, Verrazano Bridge, Brooklyn
6

Merge onto I 278

3.2 mi · 4 min · Staten Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 278

0.7 mi · 1 min · Staten Island Expressway
Toward Upper Level
8

Continue on I 278

1.3 mi · 1 min · Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
9

Continue on I 278

0.1 mi · 9 sec · Gowanus Expressway
10

Take the exit

1.1 mi · 2 min
Exit 16 Toward John F Kennedy International Airport, Belt Parkway East Use the slight left lane.
11

Merge onto BP

15 mi · 21 min · Belt Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 31 sec
Exit 19 Toward NY 878, I 678: Nassau Expressway, Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Toward NY 878, I 678: Nassau Expressway, Kennedy Airport, Van Wyck Expressway Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto NY 878

1.1 mi · 1 min · Nassau Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 1N Toward I 678 North: Bronx, Whitestone Bridge, Van Wyck Expressway Use the slight right lane.
16

Merge onto I 678

0.2 mi · 15 sec · Van Wyck Expressway
17

Keep slight left at fork

65 ft · 1 sec
Exit 2 Toward Rockaway Boulevard Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 41 sec
Exit 2 Toward Rockaway Boulevard
19

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 25 sec
20

Continue on I 678

1.0 mi · 1 min · Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
21

Take the exit

504 ft · 15 sec
Exit 4 Toward Liberty Avenue Use the slight right lane.
22

Continue on Van Wyck Expressway East

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Van Wyck Expressway East
23

Turn right onto Liberty Avenue

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
24

Turn right onto Inwood Street

0.2 mi · 44 sec · Inwood Street
25

Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way

56 ft · 2 sec · Tuskegee Airmen Way
26

Arrive at destination

Tuskegee Airmen Way

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brooklyn, NY

15 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Brooklyn, NY to Jamaica, NY

11.2 mi · 20m

Pacing Suggestions

Hillside, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 30.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brooklyn, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.5 miles from Eltingville, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 19

5 decision points cluster between mile 11 and 28.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
11 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the exit toward John F Kennedy International Airport, Belt Parkway East

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 16 Toward John F Kennedy International Airport, Be...
8
26.6 mi into trip | ~46m in

Take the exit toward NY 878, I 678: Nassau Expressway, Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport

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 NY 878, I 678: Nassau Expressway, Van Wy...
8
26.9 mi into trip | ~46m in

Keep slight left at fork toward NY 878, I 678: Nassau Expressway, Kennedy Airport, Van Wyck Expressway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward NY 878, I 678: Nassau Expressway, Kenned...
8
28.2 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward I 678 North: Bronx, Whitestone Bridge, Van Wyck Expressway

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 1N Toward I 678 North: Bronx, Whitestone Bridge, V...
9
28.8 mi into trip | ~50m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Rockaway Boulevard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 2 Toward Rockaway Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.09 one way

$10.17 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $5.50 $11.00
premium $4.92 $5.99 $11.98
diesel $5.61 $6.82 $13.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.3 0 $3.24 $1.48
Efficient EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.24
EV Truck/SUV 12.4 0 $4.33 $1.98

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Eltingville, NY

Morning in Eltingville on Sunday

Local time

10:41 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Jamaica, NY

Morning in Jamaica on Sunday

Local time

10:41 AM

EDT

Current temp

85°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 6 to 12 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 15 at 11:57PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

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

53m 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?

This is a highway-focused drive, with 68% of the journey taking place on major roadways like the Staten Island Expressway and the Belt Parkway. You'll experience a significant uninterrupted stretch of 14.5 miles on the Belt Parkway, offering a consistent pace. While the profile suggests a highway-centric experience, keep in mind that transitions between these main roads, particularly on and off Forest Hill Road, will introduce brief changes in the driving environment. Expect a predominantly fast-paced journey with limited deviations from the primary expressway system.

68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.5 mi on Belt Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Belt Parkway and Staten Island Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11 miles in.

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 19 decision points packed into just 30.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.9 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.

Between Eltingville, NY and Jamaica, NY, road signs point toward Brooklyn, Upper Level, John F Kennedy International Airport, Belt Parkway East and Kennedy Airport.

Brooklyn

5.5 mi in | ~13m

Upper Level

8.9 mi in | ~18m | via I 278

John F Kennedy International Airport

11 mi in | ~22m

Belt Parkway East

11 mi in | ~22m

Kennedy Airport

26.6 mi in | ~46m

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 53m. Total distance: 30.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14.5 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 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area, Governors Island National Monument and Statue Of Liberty 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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Explore More

Return Trip

Jamaica, NY to Eltingville, NY

Plan the drive back the other way.

30.3 mi 53m

Explore more options from Eltingville, NY or browse trips ending in Jamaica, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.