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Trip from Little Neck, NY to New York City, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

16.7 mi

27 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Little Neck, NY, NY

Little Neck, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

most populous city in the United States

New York City, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Little Neck, NY to New York City, NY is 16.7 miles and takes about 30m via Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, direct drive primarily within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a highway-focused experience for the entire 16.7 miles. Given the minimal distance and short estimated travel time, this trip is best suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. It's a straightforward journey for getting from point A to point B with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Long Island Expressway 8.8 mi 12m
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway 2 mi 3m
Williamsburg Bridge 1.9 mi 4m
Delancey Street 0.5 mi 1m
Horace Harding Expressway 0.5 mi <1m
Broadway 0.5 mi 1m
Kenmare Street 0.2 mi <1m
Lafayette Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Long Island Expressway — 8.8 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Little Neck, NY and New York City, NY.

1

Start on 52nd Avenue

369 ft · 23 sec · 52nd Avenue
2

Turn left onto Marathon Parkway

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Marathon Parkway
3

Turn right onto Horace Harding Expressway

0.5 mi · 50 sec · Horace Harding Expressway
4

Take the ramp

523 ft · 12 sec
Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, West Manhattan Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I 495 West: Manhattan Use the straight lane.
6

Merge onto I 495

8.8 mi · 12 min · Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 1 min
Exit 17W Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 10 sec
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, 48th Street
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 31 sec
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto I 278

2.0 mi · 3 min · Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
11

Keep slight left at fork onto Williamsburg Bridge

0.7 mi · 1 min · Williamsburg Bridge
Exit 32A Toward Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto Williamsburg Bridge

1.2 mi · 2 min · Williamsburg Bridge
Use the slight left lane.
13

Continue on Delancey Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Delancey Street
Use the straight lane.
14

Continue on Kenmare Street

0.2 mi · 57 sec · Kenmare Street
15

At end of road, turn left onto Lafayette Street

0.2 mi · 43 sec · Lafayette Street
Use the left lane.
16

Turn right onto Howard Street

510 ft · 24 sec · Howard Street
17

Turn left onto Broadway

0.5 mi · 1 min · Broadway
Use the straight lane.
18

Arrive at destination

Broadway

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 West: Manhattan

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward I 495 West: Manhattan
7
9.9 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 278 West: Brooklyn

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 17W Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
7
11 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 278 West: Brooklyn

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
9
13.3 mi into trip | ~20m in | Williamsburg Bridge

Keep slight left at fork onto Williamsburg Bridge toward Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 32A Toward Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan
7
15.9 mi into trip | ~27m in | Lafayette Street

At end of road, turn left onto Lafayette Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.75 one way

$5.50 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $2.97 $5.94
premium $4.92 $3.24 $6.47
diesel $5.61 $3.69 $7.37

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 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 5 0 $1.75 $0.80
Efficient EV 4.2 0 $1.46 $0.67
EV Truck/SUV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07

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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Little Neck, NY

Morning in Little Neck on Sunday

Local time

9:44 AM

EDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

New York City, NY

Morning in New York City on Sunday

Local time

9:44 AM

EDT

Current temp

50°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

1 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

30m 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 route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 68% of the journey on major roadways. You'll spend a significant portion on the Long Island Expressway, including an uninterrupted stretch of 8.8 miles. The drive progresses quickly, utilizing key arteries like the Long Island Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and crossing the Williamsburg Bridge. The character is one of efficient travel, designed for direct transit rather than leisurely sightseeing.

68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Long Island Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 14 decision points packed into just 16.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Little Neck, NY to New York City, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Manhattan along the way.

Manhattan

13.3 mi in | ~20m | via Williamsburg Bridge

About the Cities

Arriving in New York City, NY

Full guide →

“The City That Never Sleeps” · Founded 1624

New York (known as "The Big Apple", "NYC," and often called "New York City") is a global center for media, entertainment, art, fashion, research, finance, and trade. The bustling, cosmopolitan heart of the 4th largest metropolis in the world and by far the most populous city in the United States, New York has long been a key entry point and a defining city for the nation. From the Statue of Liberty in the harbor to the Empire State Building towering over the Manhattan skyline, from the tunnels of the subway to the riches of Wall Street, from the bright signs of Times Square to the naturalistic beauty of Central Park, and from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York's landmarks are quintessential American landmarks. The city's neighborhoods and streets are so iconic they have become ingrained into the American consciousness.

Top landmarks

  • Statue of Liberty — American icon in New York, United States
  • National September 11 Memorial & Museum — memorial & museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks
  • Plaza Hotel — hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City

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 30m. Total distance: 16.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on Long Island Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 New York City, 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 0.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Castle Clinton National Monument and Federal Hall National Memorial (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 New York City, 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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