Skip to main content

Trip from Great Neck, NY to Manhattan, NY

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

37m

Distance

19.6 mi

32 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 34m ★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 36m

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

region and peninsula in Nassau County, New York, United States

Great Neck, NY

Wikimedia Commons

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Great Neck to Manhattan covers a quick 24-mile span, typically taking about 46 minutes depending on traffic. Since this trip is entirely within the Northeast region of New York, it is best suited as a simple day trip that requires no overnight stays. You should budget approximately $4 for fuel to complete the journey. The route is highly practical for those heading into the city for work or leisure. Because there are no scheduled stops required, you can easily manage this drive in a single, straightforward push.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Long Island Expressway 9.9 mi 14m
Middle Neck Road 1.1 mi 2m
Great Neck Road 1 mi 1m
Northern Boulevard 0.9 mi 1m
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level 0.9 mi 2m
Queensboro Plaza 0.7 mi <1m
Madison Avenue 0.7 mi 2m
Douglaston Parkway 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Long Island Expressway — 9.9 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Great Neck, NY and Manhattan, NY.

1

Start on Baker Hill Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Baker Hill Road
2

Turn left onto Middle Neck Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Middle Neck Road
3

Turn sharp right onto Great Neck Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Great Neck Road
Use the straight lane.
4

Continue on Great Neck Road

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Great Neck Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5

Turn slight right onto NY 25A

0.9 mi · 1 min · Northern Boulevard
6

Turn sharp left onto Douglaston Parkway

0.6 mi · 1 min · Douglaston Parkway
Use the left lane.
7

Take the ramp

523 ft · 12 sec
Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West Manhattan Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I 495 West: Manhattan Use the straight lane.
9

Merge onto I 495

9.9 mi · 14 min · Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

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.
11

Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard

80 ft · 2 sec · Laurel Hill Boulevard
12

Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13

Turn right onto Van Dam Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Van Dam Street
14

Continue on Van Dam Street

113 ft · 8 sec · Van Dam Street
15

Turn left onto NY 25

0.4 mi · 35 sec · Queens Boulevard
16

Continue on NY 25

0.7 mi · 57 sec · Queensboro Plaza
17

Continue on NY 25

0.9 mi · 2 min · Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level
18

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25

317 ft · 11 sec · NY 25
Toward 60th Street West Use the slight right lane.
19

Turn left onto East 60th Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · East 60th Street
20

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · 3rd Avenue
Use the right lane.
21

Turn left onto East 72nd Street

0.3 mi · 40 sec · East 72nd Street
Use the left lane.
22

Turn right onto Madison Avenue

0.7 mi · 2 min · Madison Avenue
23

Turn left onto East 85th Street

507 ft · 12 sec · East 85th Street
24

Continue on 86th Street Transverse

0.4 mi · 1 min · 86th Street Transverse
Toward West Side
25

Arrive at destination

86th Street Transverse

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 14.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | Great Neck Road

Turn sharp right onto Great Neck Road

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
3.3 mi into trip | ~7m in | Douglaston Parkway

Turn sharp left onto Douglaston Parkway

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
3.9 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the ramp toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West Manhattan

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West...
8
4 mi into trip | ~8m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 West: Manhattan

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward I 495 West: Manhattan
8
14.2 mi into trip | ~23m 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...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.23 one way

$6.45 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $3.49 $6.98
premium $4.92 $3.80 $7.60
diesel $5.61 $4.33 $8.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.06 $0.94
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.78
EV Truck/SUV 7.8 0 $2.74 $1.25

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Great Neck, NY

Morning in Great Neck on Tuesday

Local time

9:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Manhattan, NY

Morning in Manhattan on Tuesday

Local time

9:48 AM

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

34 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

37m 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 turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention as you navigate from the suburbs into the city. With a highway share of 0%, you won't find yourself settling into a steady interstate cruise. Instead, the road requires constant adjustments as you maneuver through local streets and turns. Because this is a short, technical commute, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches to speak of. Prepare for a hands-on driving experience that changes rhythm frequently compared to a standard highway haul.

54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on Long Island Expressway.

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 1.4 miles in near Great Neck Road.

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 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (Great Neck Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (Douglaston Parkway): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

110 ft -5 ft

Total Climb

201 ft

Total Descent

204 ft

Highest Point

110 ft

Elevation Range

115 ft

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 Great Neck, NY to Manhattan, NY, road signs begin pointing toward 60Th Street West along the way.

60Th Street West

17.4 mi in | ~30m | via NY 25

About the Cities

Starting in Great Neck, 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 37m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

37m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (54%). 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 9.9 miles on Long Island 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 1.4 miles (Great Neck Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (Douglaston Parkway): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Great Neck, NY or browse trips ending in Manhattan, NY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.