Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
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
University Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Jamaica, NY to University Heights, NY is 16.3 miles and takes about 26m via Van Wyck Expressway, I 95, and Whitestone Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a short trip, primarily focused on expressways, making it a quick hop rather than an extensive journey. You'll be navigating major roadways for most of this drive, so expect typical urban highway conditions. Given its brevity, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion with minimal planning required.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| I 95 | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Bronx-Whitestone Bridge | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Hutchinson River Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Jerome Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West 181st Street | 0.2 mi | 1m |
| Pinegrove Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and University Heights, 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
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto Jerome Avenue
Turn left onto West 181st Street
Continue on Hall of Fame Terrace
Turn right onto Loring Place North
Keep slight right at fork onto West 183rd Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 15 — 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
Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, I 278 West: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Jerome Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Jerome Avenue North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.68 one way
$5.37 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.90 | $5.80 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.16 | $6.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
Estimated Tolls: $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
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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 Tuesday
Local time
10:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Morning in University Heights on Tuesday
Local time
10:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°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.
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 75% of the journey utilizing expressways. You'll experience stretches on the Van Wyck Expressway, I 95, and the Whitestone Expressway. The longest continuous segment you'll encounter is approximately 5.7 miles on the Van Wyck Expressway. This means you'll be in a highway environment for the majority of your travel time, with consistent speeds and limited local road interaction. The character of the drive is largely defined by its urban interstate nature.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Van Wyck Expressway and I 95. 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 - 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 16 decision points packed into just 16.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Pinegrove Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 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 University Heights, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut and Jerome Avenue North.
Manhattan
New Haven Connecticut
Jerome Avenue North
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 26m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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