This manageable 42.2-mile drive from Lake Placid to Blue Ridge, NY, can be completed in about an hour, making it an ideal day trip. You'll primarily navigate via State Highway 73 and the Adirondack Northway, with a portion on Cascade Road. With a modest fuel cost of around $7, this route offers a straightforward journey through the Northeast region. It's a convenient option for a scenic excursion without the need for an overnight stay, allowing you to focus on enjoying the destinations.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
State Highway 73
18.7 mi
27m
Adirondack Northway
9.6 mi
11m
Cascade Road
6.4 mi
9m
Blue Ridge Road
2.4 mi
3m
US 9
2.1 mi
2m
State Highway 9N
1.8 mi
3m
Sentinel Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Spring Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
State Highway 73
— 18.7 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Placid, NY and Blue Ridge, NY.
1
Start on Spring Street
369 ft·21 sec·Spring Street
2
Turn left onto Colden Avenue
302 ft·14 sec·Colden Avenue
3
Turn left onto Mill Pond Drive
326 ft·9 sec·Mill Pond Drive
4
At end of road, turn right onto NY 73
240 ft·6 sec·South Main Street
5
Continue on NY 73
0.4 mi·57 sec·Sentinel Road
6
Continue on NY 73
6.4 mi·9 min·Cascade Road
7
Continue on NY 73
7.2 mi·10 min·State Highway 73
8
Turn straight onto NY 9N; NY 73
1.8 mi·3 min·State Highway 9N
9
Continue on NY 73
11 mi·16 min·State Highway 73
10
Turn straight onto US 9
2.1 mi·2 min·US 9
11
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward I 87 South
12
Merge onto I 87
9.6 mi·11 min·Adirondack Northway
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi·35 sec
Exit 29Toward Newcomb, North Hudson
14
Turn left onto Blue Ridge Road
2.4 mi·3 min·Blue Ridge Road
15
Arrive at destination
CR 84
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Lake Placid, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 39.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Colden Avenue
Turn left onto Colden Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Mill Pond Drive
Turn left onto Mill Pond Drive
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|NY 73 / South Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto NY 73 / South Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
29.7 mi into trip|~44m in
Take the ramp toward I 87 South
Navigation decision point
Toward I 87 South
6
39.7 mi into trip|~56m in
Take the exit toward Newcomb, North Hudson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 29
Toward Newcomb, North Hudson
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.49 one way
$14.98 round trip
$4.51/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.85
$8.05
$16.10
premium
$5.24
$8.70
$17.41
diesel
$5.35
$8.89
$17.78
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.7
0
$4.43
$2.03
Efficient EV
10.6
0
$3.69
$1.69
EV Truck/SUV
16.9
0
$5.91
$2.70
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Forecast as of May 31, 2026
Origin
Lake Placid, NY
Evening
in Lake Placid on Wednesday
Local time
6:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Mostly Cloudy
W 0 to 6 mph67% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 31 at 5:56PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
Destination
Blue Ridge, NY
Evening
in Blue Ridge on Wednesday
Local time
6:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
NW 0 to 3 mph53% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 31 at 5:56PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
70°F
Keene, NY
21 mi in
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
2 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
1h 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 54% of it being highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.7 miles on State Highway 73. This section likely provides a good balance between open road driving and potentially more winding or local road segments as you progress toward Blue Ridge. The transition from highway to local roads will shape the overall driving experience.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on State Highway 73.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Colden Avenue.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Lake Placid, NY to Blue Ridge, NY is easy. At 1h with 54% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Colden Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Mill Pond Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (NY 73 / South Main Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
2,086 ft869 ft
Total Climb
1,277 ft
Total Descent
1,929 ft
Highest Point
2,086 ft
~6 mi in
Elevation Range
1,218 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lake Placid, NY and Blue Ridge, NY, road signs point toward Newcomb and Hudson.
For the city in Florida, see Lake Placid (Florida).
Lake Placid is a village of 2,400 people (2019) in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, near the center of the town of North Elba and named after an adjacent lake.
While the village is a year-round resort, it is most known as the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. In a 1980 USA-USSR hockey game, the "Miracle on Ice," a group of American college students and amateurs upset the heavily-favored Soviet national ice hockey team 4-3. Two days later, they won the gold medal.
Lake Placid hosts a Winter Olympics summer training facility where one can watch sports like ski jumping, aerial jumping and figure skating. The town is charming and fun for the outdoorsy and/or adventure-spirited.
Top landmarks
•Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run
•Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum — in Lake Placid, New York
The longest stretch is about 18.7 miles on State Highway 73. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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.
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 (Colden Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Mill Pond Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (NY 73 / South Main Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Blue Ridge, NY before heading back.
