Origin
Holtsville, NY
Night in Holtsville on Sunday
Local time
9:02 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Holtsville, NY to Amherst, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
8h 55m
Distance
424.8 mi
684 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$70
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
8h 48m
★
6 AM
8h 56m
8 AM
9h 12m
10 AM
9h 1m
12 PM
9h 0m
3 PM
9h 2m
5 PM
9h 11m
8 PM
8h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Holtsville, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Amherst, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Holtsville, NY to Amherst, NY covers 424.8 miles and takes about 8h 55m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on New York State Thruway, I 81, Christopher Columbus Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 99.6 miles on New York State Thruway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $69.92 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
212.4 miles from Holtsville, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 26m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New York State Thruway | 99.6 mi | 1h 55m |
| I 81 | 97.3 mi | 1h 55m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 68.2 mi | 1h 20m |
| Long Island Expressway | 37.2 mi | 49m |
| I 380 | 27.7 mi | 30m |
| Keystone Shortway | 17.3 mi | 24m |
| Clinton Street | 10.5 mi | 15m |
| East Lake Road | 9.9 mi | 14m |
Longest stretch:
New York State Thruway
— 99.6 mi, about 1h 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Holtsville, NY and Amherst, NY.
1
Start on Union Avenue
76 ft
·
8 sec
·
Union Avenue
2
Turn left onto Waverly Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Waverly Avenue
3
Turn left onto Express Drive North
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Express Drive North
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I-495 west: New York
5
Merge onto I 495
37 mi
·
49 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 31N-S
Toward Cross Island Parkway, Whitestone Bridge, Kennedy Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 31N
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone Bridge
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto CI
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Cross Island Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 33
Toward I 295 North: Throgs Neck Bridge, Bronx, New England
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 295
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Throgs Neck Bridge
11
Continue on I 295
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Throgs Neck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
6.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Trans-Manhattan Expressway
Toward Upper Level
14
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
George Washington Bridge (upper level)
15
Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
0.6 mi
·
39 sec
·
I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
·
I 95 EXPR; NJTP
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
20
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 69
Toward I 80 West: Paterson, Hackensack
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Continue on I 80
68 mi
·
1 hr 20 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Keystone Shortway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Keystone Shortway
25
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 293
Toward I 380 North: Scranton
26
Continue on I 380
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 380
Use the straight lane.
27
Merge onto I 81
58 mi
·
1 hr 9 min
·
I 81
Use the straight lane.
28
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
I 81
Toward I 81 North: Syracuse, Albany
29
Keep slight left at fork onto I 81
37 mi
·
43 min
·
I 81
Toward I 81 North: Syracuse
30
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 52
Toward NY 13: Cortland
31
Turn right onto NY 13
39 ft
·
5 sec
·
Clinton Avenue
32
Turn left onto Locust Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Locust Avenue
33
Continue on Albany Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Albany Street
34
At end of road, turn right onto US 11; NY 41
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
35
Turn left onto NY 41
10 mi
·
15 min
·
Clinton Street
36
Continue on NY 41
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
East Lake Road
37
Continue on NY 41
4.8 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 41
38
Continue on NY 41
9.4 mi
·
13 min
·
East Lake Road
39
Continue on NY 41
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
East Lake Street
40
Turn left onto US 20
7.3 mi
·
13 min
·
East Genesee Street
41
Turn right onto US 20
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
North Fulton Street
42
Turn left onto US 20; NY 5
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Arterial West
43
Continue on US 20; NY 5; NY 38
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Chase Street
Use the left lane.
44
Continue on US 20; NY 5
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Auburn Road
45
Turn right onto NY 318
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
NY 318
46
Continue on NY 318
319 ft
·
10 sec
·
NY 318
Use the right lane.
47
Turn right onto NY 414
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
State Route 414
Use the right lane.
48
Continue on NY 414
217 ft
·
11 sec
·
Ridge Road
Use the left lane.
49
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Use the left lane.
50
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 West: Buffalo
Use the straight / right lanes.
51
Merge onto I 90
100 mi
·
1 hr 55 min
·
New York State Thruway
52
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 50
Toward I 290: Niagara Falls
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
53
Continue on I 290
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Youngmann Expressway
54
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 6
Toward NY 324, NY 240: Sheridan Drive, Harlem Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
55
Turn left onto NY 324
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Sheridan Drive
Use the left / right lanes.
56
Turn left onto NY 263
469 ft
·
13 sec
·
Millersport Highway
Use the left lane.
57
Arrive at destination
NY 263
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 212.4 miles from Holtsville, NY, or about 4h 26m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 99.6 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 93 miles or 2h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 212.4 miles or 4h 26m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 212.4 miles or 4h 26m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Amherst, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Holtsville, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Holtsville, NY
Aim for roughly 212 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Amherst, NY
Aim for roughly 212 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 93 miles from Holtsville, NY.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on New York State Thruway for about 99.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
212 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Ramapo, NYOvernight Options
Night 1
212 mi · about 4.5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Ramapo, NY after about 212 miles or 4.5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 93 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 212.4 miles from Holtsville, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before New York State Thruway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 99.6 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 212 miles or 4.5 hours on the road.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 405 decision points cluster between mile 38.6 and 54.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
38.6 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward Cross Island Parkway, Whitestone Bridge, Kennedy Airport
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 31N-S
Toward Cross Island Parkway, Whitestone Bridge,...
10
38.9 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 31N
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone B...
8
42.2 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward I 295 North: Throgs Neck Bridge, Bronx, New England
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 33
Toward I 295 North: Throgs Neck Bridge, Bronx,...
8
54.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
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.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
8
54.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$69.92 one way
$139.85 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
149 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $75.61 | $151.22 |
| premium | $4.92 | $82.33 | $164.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $93.79 | $187.58 |
Estimated Tolls: $27.81
George Washington Bridge
$16.00
Throgs Neck Bridge
$6.55
New York State Thruway
(99.6 mi)
$4.98
New Jersey Turnpike
(2 mi)
$0.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$70
Tolls
$28
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$228–$338
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 148.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $45 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 127.4 | 1 | $44.60 | $20.39 |
| Efficient EV | 106.2 | 1 | $37.17 | $16.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 169.9 | 2 | $59.47 | $27.19 |
Gas CO2
149 kg
EV CO2
50 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Amherst, NY
Night in Amherst on Sunday
Local time
9:02 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Ramapo, NY
212 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
3 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
8h 55m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
424.8 mi in 8h 55m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 44% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
57 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 99.6 mi on New York State Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 38.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 40 significant decision points across 424.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 38.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 38.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
Between Holtsville, NY and Amherst, NY, road signs point toward Kennedy Airport, Cross Island Parkway North, Bronx, New England, Upper Level and Njtp South: Hackensack - among others.
Kennedy Airport
38.6 mi in
|
~52m
Cross Island Parkway North
38.9 mi in
|
~53m
Bronx
42.2 mi in
|
~58m
New England
42.2 mi in
|
~58m
Upper Level
51.9 mi in
|
~1h 12m
|
via I 95; US 1
Njtp South: Hackensack
54.4 mi in
|
~1h 16m
Hackensack
57 mi in
|
~1h 20m
Albany
229.8 mi in
|
~4h 47m
|
via I 81
About the Cities
Arriving in Amherst, NY
Full guide →Amherst is a town in the Northtowns of Erie County, New York.
Top landmarks
- • Entranceway at Main Street at Roycroft Boulevard — residential landscape feature in Amherst, New York state, USA
- • Entranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive — residential landscape feature in Amherst, New York state, USA
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 99.6 miles on New York State Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 212 miles on day one.
Expect about $27.81 in tolls one way, starting with George Washington 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.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 Amherst, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 2 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 38.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 38.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Not recommended in a single day. At 8.9 hours each way, a round trip means 17.9 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Amherst, NY before the return drive.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. 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 Amherst, NY
More trips to Amherst, NY
Explore more options from Holtsville, NY or browse trips ending in Amherst, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.