Origin
Far Rockaway, NY
Evening in Far Rockaway on Sunday
Local time
5:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Far Rockaway, NY to Manhattan, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Far Rockaway, NY
Julian Bracero
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Far Rockaway, NY to Manhattan, NY is 22.5 miles and takes about 42 minutes via Van Wyck Expressway/Long Island Expressway/Rockaway Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a relatively short, straightforward drive that's perfect for a quick transit. Given the low mileage and short duration, this route is ideal for same-day travel, offering a simple journey from the coast into the heart of the city.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5 mi | 6m |
| Long Island Expressway | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Rockaway Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 6m |
| Nassau Expressway | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Queensboro Plaza | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Madison Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Van Wyck Expressway
— 5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Far Rockaway, NY and Manhattan, NY.
1
Start on Beach Channel Drive
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
Beach Channel Drive
2
Continue on Sheridan Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
3
At end of road, turn right onto Sheridan Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
4
Continue on Burnside Avenue
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Burnside Avenue
5
Turn left onto Nassau Expressway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Nassau Expressway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on Rockaway Turnpike
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Rockaway Turnpike
7
Continue on Rockaway Boulevard
2.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn straight onto NY 878
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Nassau Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Bronx
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
12
Continue on I 678
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
13
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
Exit 12B
Toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto I 495
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard
80 ft
·
2 sec
·
Laurel Hill Boulevard
17
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
18
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Dam Street
19
Continue on Van Dam Street
113 ft
·
8 sec
·
Van Dam Street
20
Turn left onto NY 25
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Queens Boulevard
21
Continue on NY 25
0.7 mi
·
57 sec
·
Queensboro Plaza
22
Continue on NY 25
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level
23
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25
317 ft
·
11 sec
·
NY 25
Toward 60th Street West
Use the slight right lane.
24
Turn left onto East 60th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
East 60th Street
25
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
3rd Avenue
Use the right lane.
26
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East 72nd Street
Use the left lane.
27
Turn right onto Madison Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Madison Avenue
28
Turn left onto East 85th Street
507 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 85th Street
29
Continue on 86th Street Transverse
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
86th Street Transverse
Toward West Side
30
Arrive at destination
86th Street Transverse
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 12.1 and 20.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
12.1 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 12B
Toward I 495 West: Midtown Tunnel
8
17.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
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 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point...
6
17.6 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
Hunters Point Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
NY 25
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25 toward 60th Street West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 60th Street West
6
20.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
3rd Avenue
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.70 one way
$7.41 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $4.00 | $8.01 |
| premium | $4.92 | $4.36 | $8.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Manhattan, NY
Evening in Manhattan on Sunday
Local time
5:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 3 to 9 mph
4% 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
40 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
42m 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 mixed drive on this route, with 51% of it on highways. You'll encounter about 5 miles of uninterrupted driving on the Van Wyck Expressway, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. The journey transitions from expressway driving to more local road conditions as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll experience both faster highway travel and the need for increased awareness as you navigate through more urbanized areas, so keep an eye on your surroundings.
51% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on Van Wyck Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 12.1 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 18 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.6 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Between Far Rockaway, NY and Manhattan, NY, road signs point toward Bronx and 60Th Street West.
Bronx
6.2 mi in
|
~13m
60Th Street West
20.3 mi in
|
~36m
|
via NY 25
About the Cities
Starting in Far Rockaway, NY
Full guide →Arriving in Manhattan, NY
Full guide →Founded 1624
Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.
Top landmarks
- • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA
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 42m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). 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 5 miles on Van Wyck Expressway. 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 Manhattan, 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 12.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.6 miles (Hunters Point Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial 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 Manhattan, 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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