Origin
Inwood, NY
Afternoon in Inwood on Sunday
Local time
12:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Inwood, NY to Queens, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
18.6 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Inwood, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 18.7 miles, this local trip from Inwood to Queens is a straightforward journey typically taking about 43 minutes. Because the route is entirely local, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics, making it a perfect one-day excursion. You can expect to spend approximately $3 on fuel for the entire drive. Navigating through the Northeast, you will rely on surface streets like West 184th Street and Amsterdam Avenue rather than major interstates. It is a practical, no-frills commute that gets you from point A to point B efficiently without the need for extensive travel planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wyck Expressway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Liberty Avenue | 1.5 mi | 4m |
| Bronx-Whitestone Bridge | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Broadway | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Van Wyck Expressway West | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Hutchinson River Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Van Wyck Expressway
— 4.3 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Inwood, NY and Queens, NY.
1
Start on US 9
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Broadway
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn left onto West 183rd Street
311 ft
·
17 sec
·
West 183rd Street
3
Turn right onto Wadsworth Avenue
489 ft
·
22 sec
·
Wadsworth Avenue
4
Turn left onto West 181st Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
West 181st Street
5
Continue on Washington Bridge
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Bridge
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 95 North: Cross Bronx Expressway, New England, Eastern Long Island
7
Merge onto I 95; US 1
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
2 min
Exit 6A
Toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 678
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hutchinson River Expressway
10
Continue on I 678
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
11
Continue on I 678
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Whitestone Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 678
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
Use the slight left lane.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 6
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
1.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto 104th Street
205 ft
·
9 sec
·
104th Street
18
Arrive at destination
104th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 6.1 and 17 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
6.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens
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 6A
Toward I 678 South: Whitestone Bridge, Queens
7
11.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 678 South: Kennedy Airport
8
15.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 6
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Atlanti...
9
16 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
6
17 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.06 one way
$6.12 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.31 | $6.62 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.61 | $7.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.11 | $8.21 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Whitestone 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
$3
Tolls
$7
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 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 | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
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.
Destination
Queens, NY
Afternoon in Queens on Sunday
Local time
12:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Cloudy
NE 6 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
33m 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 behind the wheel. Since this route features zero highway driving, you won't find any long, uninterrupted stretches to cruise on; in fact, the longest segment is on West 184th Street. The journey requires frequent maneuvering through city infrastructure and over the Washington Bridge. This is not a high-speed interstate experience but rather a series of connected local roads. You will feel the constant stop-and-go rhythm of urban navigation as you transition between these specific neighborhood streets.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.3 mi on Van Wyck Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Van Wyck Expressway and Cross Bronx Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.1 miles in.
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 14 decision points packed into just 18.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.4 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
184 ft
1 ft
Total Climb
283 ft
Total Descent
271 ft
Highest Point
184 ft
~1.3 mi in
Elevation Range
183 ft
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 Inwood, NY and Queens, NY, road signs point toward New England and Eastern Long Island.
New England
1.9 mi in
|
~4m
Eastern Long Island
1.9 mi in
|
~4m
About the Cities
Starting in Inwood, NY
Full guide →Arriving in Queens, NY
Full guide →Founded 1683
Queens is a crescent-shaped (with a tail) borough traversing the north-to-south width of Long Island and including two of the major New York City area airports, LaGuardia (LGA IATA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK IATA). It also carries the largest ethnic diversity in its area of any region in the world, with many small enclaves. Jackson Heights, for example, includes a huge Indian area, followed by a Colombian area, and then a Mexican area. Each offers a wide array of authentic shops, native-style cuisine, and festivals modified only slightly by the generally colder New York City experience.
Top landmarks
- • Queensboro Bridge — bridge in New York City
- • Unisphere — Steel structure in Queens, New York
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 33m. Total distance: 18.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.3 miles on Van Wyck Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $6.55 in tolls one way, starting with Whitestone 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.
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 Queens, 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 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.4 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and African Burial Ground 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 Queens, 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.
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