Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
11.6 mi
19 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Kensington, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Spanning just 11.6 miles, this journey from Jamaica to Kensington is a quick trip across the Northeast, clocking in at an estimated 22 minutes. Because of the short distance, you can easily complete this drive in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate local thoroughfares, including Linden Boulevard, Church Avenue, and the Belt Parkway. Budgeting about $2 for fuel makes this an incredibly economical excursion. It is a straightforward route that functions perfectly for commuters or those needing to move between these two points efficiently. Since the trip is entirely within New York, you won't face any regional transitions, allowing you to focus on the local traffic patterns.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Linden Boulevard | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Church Avenue | 2.8 mi | 6m |
| Belt Parkway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Conduit Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Pinegrove Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Albemarle Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and Kensington, NY.
Start on Tuskegee Airmen Way
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
At end of road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Turn left onto Van Wyck Expressway
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 678
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto BP
Take the exit
Merge onto NY 27
Turn straight onto NY 27
Continue on NY 27
Turn slight left onto Church Avenue
Turn left onto Westminster Road
Turn right onto Albemarle Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 3.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Van Wyck Expressway
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Belt Parkway West, Verrazano Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward North Conduit Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$1.91 one way
$3.82 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.06 | $4.13 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.25 | $4.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.56 | $5.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Morning in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
7:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
Destination
Morning in Kensington on Sunday
Local time
7:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Only 23% of this route takes place on highways, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating neighborhood streets and intersections. Your longest uninterrupted stretch is a 3.8-mile run along Linden Boulevard, which offers the most steady pacing of the entire trip. As you transition between the specified main roads, the driving environment shifts from dense local corridors to brief highway transitions. This is not a monotonous interstate cruise; instead, it is a technical, low-speed trek that keeps you engaged with the urban landscape throughout the 11.6-mile duration.
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 0.1 miles in near Pinegrove Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 11.6 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 0.1 miles (Pinegrove Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Van Wyck Expressway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Jamaica, NY and Kensington, NY, road signs point toward Kennedy Airport and Belt Parkway West.
Kennedy Airport
Belt Parkway West
Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 11.6 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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