Origin
Jamaica, NY
Morning in Jamaica on Tuesday
Local time
7:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jamaica, NY to Wakefield, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Wakefield, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Jamaica, NY to Wakefield, NY is 16.3 miles and takes about 28 minutes via Van Wyck Expressway and Bruckner Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within New York and the Northeast region, making it a quick connector. Given its mostly highway profile and brief duration, it's ideal for a single-day trip, perhaps as part of a larger itinerary or for a quick local errand. You'll spend most of your time on major expressways, so expect typical urban traffic patterns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| Bruckner Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Bronx-Whitestone Bridge | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| New England Thruway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Baychester Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Hutchinson River Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Ely Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Van Wyck Expressway
— 5.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica, NY and Wakefield, NY.
1
Start on Tuskegee Airmen Way
303 ft
·
17 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Way
2
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Pinegrove Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue
435 ft
·
13 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
4
Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway East
77 ft
·
1 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway East
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge, Bronx
6
Merge onto I 678
5.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 678
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Whitestone Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 678
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
9
Continue on I 678
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hutchinson River Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 19S-W; 19N
Toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19N
Toward I 95 North: New Haven Connecticut
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto I 95
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Bruckner Expressway
13
Continue on I 95
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
New England Thruway
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 12
Toward Baychester Avenue, Montefiore Wakefield Hospital
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
15
Continue on Baychester Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Baychester Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto East 233rd Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
East 233rd Street
Use the slight left lane.
17
Turn slight right onto Ely Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Ely Avenue
18
Turn left onto Nereid Avenue
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Nereid Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Nereid Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Pinegrove Street
Turn right onto Pinegrove Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Liberty Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Liberty Avenue
Navigation decision point
8
10.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19S-W; 19N
Toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: Geor...
8
10.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North: New Haven Connecticut
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19N
Toward I 95 North: New Haven Connecticut
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward Baychester Avenue, Montefiore Wakefield Hospital
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 12
Toward Baychester Avenue, Montefiore Wakefield...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.68 one way
$5.37 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| 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: $6.62
Whitestone Bridge
$6.55
New England Thruway
(1 mi)
$0.07
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Wakefield, NY
Morning in Wakefield on Tuesday
Local time
7:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
6 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
28m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is primarily on highways, with 64% of the route utilizing them. You'll experience a longest stretch of 5.7 miles on the Van Wyck Expressway before transitioning to other major arteries like the Bruckner Expressway. Expect to encounter dense exit traffic and urban merging as you navigate these busy expressways for the majority of the 16.3-mile distance. The transition to surface roads will occur as you approach your destination.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on Van Wyck Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Van Wyck Expressway and Bruckner Expressway. 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.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 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 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Pinegrove Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Liberty Avenue): 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.
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 Jamaica, NY and Wakefield, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut and Montefiore Wakefield Hospital.
Manhattan
10.3 mi in
|
~15m
New Haven Connecticut
10.3 mi in
|
~15m
Montefiore Wakefield Hospital
13.9 mi in
|
~21m
About the Cities
Starting in Jamaica, NY
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 miles on Van Wyck Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $6.62 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.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Wakefield, 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 0.1 miles (Pinegrove Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Liberty Avenue): 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.
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 Wakefield, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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