Origin
Lima, NY
Afternoon in Lima on Sunday
Local time
4:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 43m
Distance
319.3 mi
514 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$52
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lima, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Yonkers, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Lima, NY to Yonkers, NY is 319.3 miles and takes about 6h 43m via I 86, with a fuel budget near $52 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York State, beginning in the Northeast region and ending in the same area. Expect a predominantly highway drive, making it a straightforward option for a single-day transit. It's a practical choice if you need to get from the Lima area to Yonkers efficiently, with most of the route on major expressways.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
159.7 miles from Lima, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 22m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 86 | 129.9 mi | 2h 40m |
| Southern Tier Expressway | 104.5 mi | 2h 2m |
| Genesee Expressway | 16 mi | 18m |
| Palisades Interstate Parkway | 15.1 mi | 17m |
| New York State Thruway | 10.2 mi | 13m |
| Saw Mill River Parkway | 7.8 mi | 10m |
| US 6 | 7.1 mi | 9m |
| State Highway 15A | 6.5 mi | 11m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,201 veh/hr typical · worst 1,535
Quietest
2 AM
~81 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Lima, NY and Yonkers, NY.
Start on US 20; NY 5
Turn left onto NY 15A
Continue on NY 15A
Continue on NY 15A
Continue on NY 15A
Continue on NY 15A
Continue on NY 15A
Continue on NY 15
Continue on NY 15
Continue on NY 15
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 390
Merge onto I 86
Keep slight left at fork onto I 86; NY 17
Take the exit onto US 6
Enter roundabout
Continue
Merge onto Palisades Interstate Parkway
Take the exit
Merge onto I 87; I 287
Keep slight right at fork onto I 87
Take the exit
Merge onto Saw Mill River Parkway
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto Yonkers Avenue
Continue on Nepperhan Avenue
Turn sharp left onto US 9; NY 9A
Arrive at destination
Given the 6h 43m estimated drive time, leaving Lima, NY in the morning should allow you to reach Yonkers, NY before evening. Plan for one stop to break up the 319.3 miles; the longest stretch without a significant break is 129.9 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you near Yonkers, and consider using the estimated $52 fuel cost to budget for this. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility in your departure time, but starting earlier is always recommended for highway driving to avoid potential delays.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
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 70 miles or 1h 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 159.7 miles or 3h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Yonkers, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Lima, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Lima, NY
This is one driving day of about 319.3 miles and 6h 43m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
160 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 70 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 159.7 miles from Lima, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 86 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 129.9 miles.
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 146.4 and 319.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto I 86; NY 17 toward New York
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 87 South, I 287 East: New York City, White Plains, New York State Thruway South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Saw Mill River Parkway South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward West Yonkers Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn sharp left onto US 9; NY 9A / South Broadway
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$51.89 one way
$103.79 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $56.17 | $112.33 |
| premium | $4.87 | $61.17 | $122.34 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $67.92 | $135.84 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.51
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
$52
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$77–$102
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $34 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 95.8 | 1 | $33.53 | $15.33 |
| Efficient EV | 79.8 | 0 | $27.94 | $12.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 127.7 | 1 | $44.70 | $20.44 |
Gas CO2
112 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Afternoon in Lima on Sunday
Local time
4:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Destination
Afternoon in Yonkers on Sunday
Local time
4:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
42°F
Montague, NJ
160 mi in
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
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is 90% highway, so you'll spend most of your time on major expressways like I 86 and the Southern Tier Expressway. The longest continuous stretch on the highway is 129.9 miles, also on I 86. You'll notice a high concentration of exits and interchanges for much of the drive, typical of a heavily trafficked corridor. The transition to surface roads will likely occur as you approach your destination in Yonkers.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 86 and Southern Tier Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 146.4 miles in near I 86; NY 17.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 319.3 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 146.4 miles (I 86; NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 299.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 309.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lima, NY and Yonkers, NY, road signs point toward New York, Palisades Interstate Parkway South, White Plains and New York State Thruway South.
New York
Palisades Interstate Parkway South
White Plains
New York State Thruway South
Founded 1646
Yonkers is a city of 211,569 people (2020) in Westchester County. The third most populous city in New York state, Yonkers is a suburb of New York City and borders the Borough of the Bronx. Yonkers is known as the "City of Seven Hills," which are Park, Nodine, Ridge, Cross, Locust, Glen, and Church hills.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 43m. Total distance: 319.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 43m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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