Origin
Freeport, NY
Morning in Freeport on Sunday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Freeport, NY to Washington Heights, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
28.9 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
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.
Freeport, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Freeport, NY to Washington Heights, NY is 28.9 miles and takes about 43m via Sunrise Highway/Cross Bronx Expressway/Clearview Expressway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. The drive offers a mix of highway cruising and surface street navigation. It’s a relatively short trip, making it ideal for a quick transit between Long Island and Upper Manhattan, or for anyone needing to cover this specific stretch without a full day commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 8.8 mi | 11m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Clearview Expressway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Francis Lewis Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 2 mi | 3m |
| Springfield Boulevard | 2 mi | 3m |
| Throgs Neck Expressway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Washington Bridge | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Sunrise Highway
— 8.8 mi, about 11m
Traffic on I-295
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 11 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,766 veh/hr typical · worst 2,167
Quietest
2 AM
~199 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 48 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Freeport, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
1
Start on this road
214 ft
·
17 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Henry Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Henry Street
3
Turn right onto NY 27
8.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Sunrise Highway
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward Belt Parkway West, Verrazano Bridge
5
Merge onto BP
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Belt Parkway
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 22
Toward Springfield Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto NY 27
438 ft
·
19 sec
·
North Conduit Avenue
8
Turn right onto Springfield Boulevard
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Springfield Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto Francis Lewis Boulevard
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Francis Lewis Boulevard
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto NY 25
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Hillside Avenue
11
Turn left onto I 295
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Clearview Expressway
Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck Bridge
Use the left lane.
12
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Throgs Neck Bridge
13
Continue on I 295
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Throgs Neck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 1D-C-B
Toward I 87: Queens, Albany, Major Deegan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 1B
Toward Amsterdam Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17
Turn straight onto Washington Bridge
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Bridge
18
Continue on West 181st Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
West 181st Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn right onto Wadsworth Avenue
237 ft
·
14 sec
·
Wadsworth Avenue
20
Turn left onto West 182nd Street
277 ft
·
23 sec
·
West 182nd Street
21
Turn left onto US 9
229 ft
·
4 sec
·
Broadway
22
Arrive at destination
US 9
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 27.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NY 27 / Sunrise Highway
Turn right onto NY 27 / Sunrise Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
9.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Springfield Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 22
Toward Springfield Boulevard
8
14.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 295 / Clearview Expressway
Turn left onto I 295 / Clearview Expressway toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck Bridge
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Throu...
8
27.8 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward I 87: Queens, Albany, Major Deegan Expressway
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 1D-C-B
Toward I 87: Queens, Albany, Major Deegan Expre...
9
27.9 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward Amsterdam Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.70 one way
$9.39 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $5.08 | $10.17 |
| premium | $4.87 | $5.54 | $11.07 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $6.15 | $12.30 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Throgs Neck Bridge
$6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$7
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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 Sunday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Rain Showers
E 10 mph
98% 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
14 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
43m 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 route features a 42% highway share, meaning you'll spend a significant portion of the 28.9 miles on faster roads. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 8.8 miles, found on Sunrise Highway. Expect to transition between higher-speed expressway driving and navigating through more developed surface streets, particularly as you approach your destination.
42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Sunrise Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.2 miles in near NY 27 / Sunrise Highway.
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 15 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (NY 27 / Sunrise Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles (I 295 / Clearview Expressway): 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.
On the drive from Freeport, NY to Washington Heights, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Belt Parkway West along the way.
Belt Parkway West
8.9 mi in
|
~12m
About the Cities
Starting in Freeport, NY
Full guide →Founded 1892
Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods. Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.
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 43m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). 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 8.8 miles on Sunrise Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $6.55 in tolls one way, starting with Throgs Neck Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 0.2 miles (NY 27 / Sunrise Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles (I 295 / Clearview Expressway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Washington Heights, NY
More trips to Washington Heights, NY
Explore more options from Freeport, NY or browse trips ending in Washington Heights, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.