Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
14.8 mi
24 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fresh Meadows, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Fresh Meadows, NY to Washington Heights, NY is 14.8 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Cross Bronx Expressway and Clearview Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its brief duration, you can easily complete this drive in one day. It's a straightforward connection, primarily utilizing major expressways, making it a functional choice for getting between these two areas.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Clearview Expressway | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 2 mi | 3m |
| Long Island Expressway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Throgs Neck Expressway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Washington Bridge | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Utopia Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West 181st Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 6 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~2,773 veh/hr typical · worst 3,305
Quietest
2 AM
~293 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 42 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Fresh Meadows, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
Start on 67th Avenue
Turn left onto Utopia Parkway
Turn right onto Horace Harding Expressway
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 295
Continue on I 295
Continue on I 295
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight onto Washington Bridge
Continue on West 181st Street
Turn right onto Wadsworth Avenue
Turn left onto West 182nd Street
Turn left onto US 9
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 13.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 295: Bronx, Grand Central Parkway
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 I 295 North: Bronx, Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.41 one way
$4.81 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $2.60 | $5.21 |
| premium | $4.87 | $2.84 | $5.67 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $2.19 | $4.37 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$7
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Afternoon in Fresh Meadows on Sunday
Local time
3:43 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 12:05AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Afternoon in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
3:43 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Rain Showers
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
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
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.
You'll spend about 74% of this 14.8-mile route on highways, with the longest continuous stretch being 6 miles on the Cross Bronx Expressway. The majority of your driving will be on these expressways. Expect a significant amount of merging and exiting traffic as you navigate these busy urban arteries, particularly as you approach your destination in Washington Heights.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Cross Bronx Expressway and Clearview Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in.
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 13 decision points packed into just 14.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.7 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Fresh Meadows, NY to Washington Heights, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Albany along the way.
Albany
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 14.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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