Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 59m
Distance
80.7 mi
130 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Poughkeepsie, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Jamaica, NY to Poughkeepsie, NY is 80.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 59 minutes via Albany Post Road and NY 9A, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the bustling Northeast region towards the more tranquil Northeast. The route offers a mixed highway and surface road experience, making it a manageable and fairly direct option for a day trip. Plan for a straightforward drive that doesn't require overnight stays. You'll encounter about 38% highway driving, balancing faster travel with scenic surface roads.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
40.3 miles from Jamaica, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Albany Post Road | 23.1 mi | 30m |
| NY 9A | 14.7 mi | 22m |
| Sprain Brook Parkway | 12.6 mi | 17m |
| South Road | 6.8 mi | 10m |
| Hutchinson River Parkway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Taconic State Parkway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and Poughkeepsie, NY.
Start on Tuskegee Airmen Way
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
At end of road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway East
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 678
Merge onto I 678
Continue on I 678
Continue on I 678
Continue on HR
Take the exit
Turn left onto Lincoln Avenue
Turn right onto NY 22
Take the ramp
Merge onto Cross County Parkway
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto Bronx River Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto Sprain Brook Parkway
Continue on Taconic State Parkway
Take the exit
Continue on NY 9A; NY 100
Turn left onto US 6; US 9; US 202
Enter roundabout onto US 9
Continue on US 9
Continue on US 9
Take the exit
Merge onto US 44; NY 55
Turn left onto South Clinton Street
Enter roundabout onto Reservoir Square
Arrive at destination
Given the relatively short duration of under 2 hours, this is a flexible same-day trip. Aim to depart mid-morning to avoid the worst of rush hour traffic leaving the New York City area. You won't need to worry about extensive stops; perhaps one quick break is sufficient. Keep an eye on your fuel, with an estimated cost of $13 for the 80.7-mile journey. The longest stretch on Albany Post Road is over 23 miles, so be prepared for that segment of surface road driving.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 18 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 40.3 miles or 1h in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Poughkeepsie, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Jamaica, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Jamaica, NY
This is one driving day of about 80.7 miles and 1h 59m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
40 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 40.3 miles from Jamaica, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 18.2 and 80.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward Cross County Parkway West
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Bronx Parkway, Sprain 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 Bronx Parkway North, Sprain Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NY 9A, NY 100 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout onto Reservoir Square
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$13.12 one way
$26.23 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $14.20 | $28.39 |
| premium | $4.87 | $15.46 | $30.92 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $17.17 | $34.33 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
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
$13
Tolls
$7
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.2 | 0 | $8.47 | $3.87 |
| Efficient EV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.06 | $3.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32.3 | 0 | $11.30 | $5.16 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (68% 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
Evening in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
7:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Evening in Poughkeepsie on Sunday
Local time
7:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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.
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Memorial
Merchant’s clerk, Revolutionary War soldier, first Secretary Treasury of the United States: Alexander Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Man...
National Memorial
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict...
National Monument
The African Burial Ground stands as the oldest and largest known excavated burial site in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It offers a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Af...
National Monument
Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for civil r...
National Monument
Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, Castle Clinton marks the place where New York City began and reflects the growth of both the city and the nation. Built to defend the harbor during the War of...
National Memorial
Here at Federal Hall, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States, marking the beginning of the American constitutional republic. This historic site served as...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This drive features a 38% highway share, meaning you'll transition between faster parkway sections and surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a surface road is 23.1 miles on Albany Post Road, offering a more consistent cruising experience before you potentially merge back onto faster routes. You can expect a mix of driving environments, from parkway cruising to navigating local roads.
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 18.2 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 80.7 miles you will encounter 23 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 18.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Poughkeepsie, NY, road signs point toward Cross County Parkway West, Bronx Parkway North and Fishkill.
Cross County Parkway West
Bronx Parkway North
Fishkill
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.
Founded 1686
Poughkeepsie (pronounced "puh-kip-see") is the name of both a town and a city in Dutchess County in New York's Hudson Valley. The City of Poughkeepsie is along the Hudson River on its eastern shore, where the river marks the boundary of the city and of the county (Ulster County is on the other side). The Town of Poughkeepsie encompasses surrounding areas of Dutchess County bordering on the city, and is more suburban in character.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 80.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Jamaica, NY or browse trips ending in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.
