Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
19.1 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Flatlands, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Flatlands, NY to Washington Heights, NY is 19.1 miles and takes about 40m via Kings Highway and Harlem River Drive, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive primarily on surface roads, making it a good option if you want to get across town without hitting major highways. Consider this if you need a direct route for a quick transit between these areas.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kings Highway | 3 mi | 5m |
| Harlem River Drive | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Fresh Pond Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| 69th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Cooper Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 7 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,026 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,234 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
3.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 21 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Flatlands, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Harden Street
Turn right onto Avenue M
Turn right onto Flatbush Avenue
Turn right onto Kings Highway
Continue on Tapscott Street
Continue on Howard Avenue
Turn right onto Eastern Parkway
Turn left onto Rockaway Avenue
Continue on Cooper Street
Continue on Cooper Avenue
Continue on Cooper Avenue
Turn slight left onto 62nd Street
At end of road, turn left onto Myrtle Avenue
Turn right onto Fresh Pond Road
At end of road, turn right onto Flushing Avenue
Turn straight onto Grand Avenue
Turn left onto 69th Street
Turn left onto Queens Boulevard
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 278
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
Merge onto GCP; I 278
Continue on I 278
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto HRD
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue
Turn left onto West 179th Street
Turn right onto US 9
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 10.8 and 18.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
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
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
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
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
Regular Gas
$3.10 one way
$6.21 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $3.36 | $6.72 |
| premium | $4.87 | $3.66 | $7.32 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $4.06 | $8.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Flatlands on Sunday
Local time
8:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Light Rain
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 12:05AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Morning in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
8:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Light Rain
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 12:05AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive covers 19.1 miles with only about 17% on highways. You'll spend the majority of your time on surface roads, with the longest continuous stretch on Kings Highway being 3 miles. Expect to navigate urban traffic and intersections for most of this route. The transition to Harlem River Drive will bring you closer to the river, offering different scenery than the initial surface streets.
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 10.8 miles in near I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
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 25 decision points packed into just 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.8 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Flatlands, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Bronx, Randalls Island and Harlem River Drive North.
Manhattan
Bronx
Randalls Island
Harlem River Drive North
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 19.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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