Origin
Lockport, NY
Night in Lockport on Saturday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lockport, NY to Buffalo, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
28.2 mi
45 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lockport, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 28.2-mile drive from Lockport to Buffalo, NY, will take you approximately 38 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward trip, easily managed as a day trip or even a quick errand, so no overnight stay is required. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, it's a budget-friendly journey. The route primarily utilizes major roads like Kensington Expressway and I-990, making for a generally efficient transit through the Northeast region. You'll experience a mixed drive, offering a blend of highway speeds and local road transitions.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington Expressway | 6.4 mi | 8m |
| I 990 | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| South Transit Road | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Youngmann Expressway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Millersport Highway | 3 mi | 4m |
| South Transit Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| New York State Thruway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Kensington Expressway
— 6.4 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lockport, NY and Buffalo, NY.
1
Start on Market Street
48 ft
·
3 sec
·
Market Street
2
Turn right onto Main Street
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn left onto NY 78
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
South Transit Street
4
Continue on NY 78
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
South Transit Road
5
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward NY 263 South
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto NY 263
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Millersport Highway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 990
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
I 990
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 290 East
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 290
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Youngmann Expressway
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 51-61
Toward I 90 West: Erie
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 90
0.6 mi
·
48 sec
·
New York State Thruway
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 51W
Toward NY 33 West: Buffalo
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto NY 33
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Kensington Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Oak Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on Oak Street
428 ft
·
14 sec
·
Oak Street
16
Turn right onto Genesee Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Genesee Street
Use the right lane.
17
Turn right onto East Huron Street
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
East Huron Street
18
Turn left onto Franklin Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Franklin Street
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto Genesee Street
402 ft
·
11 sec
·
Genesee Street
20
Enter roundabout onto NY 384
391 ft
·
11 sec
·
Niagara Square
21
Arrive at destination
NY 384
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 9.3 and 27.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
9.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 990
Keep slight right at fork onto I 990
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
15.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 290 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 290 East
8
19.1 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 90 West: Erie
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 51-61
Toward I 90 West: Erie
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward NY 33 West: Buffalo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 51W
Toward NY 33 West: Buffalo
7
27.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Oak Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Oak Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.64 one way
$9.28 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $5.02 | $10.04 |
| premium | $4.92 | $5.47 | $10.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.23 | $12.45 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.03
New York State Thruway
(0.6 mi)
$0.03
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Buffalo, NY
Night in Buffalo on Saturday
Local time
10:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Chance Rain Showers
W 2 to 6 mph
42% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 8:18PM EDT until April 17 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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
8 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
38m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with about 55% of your journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.4 miles along the Kensington Expressway, which should provide a good pace. You'll transition between the faster speeds of the expressways and South Transit Road, offering a varied driving experience rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. This dynamic should keep things interesting without feeling overly technical, making for a comfortable 38-minute transit.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.4 mi on Kensington Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.3 miles in near I 990.
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 17 decision points packed into just 28.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.3 miles (I 990): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Lockport, NY
Full guide →Lockport is a city in the Niagara Frontier of New York. It is the county seat of Niagara County, and is a few miles from Buffalo. The city is surrounded by the town of Lockport. Both the town and city are named after the double Erie Canal lock.
Top landmarks
- • Cold Springs Cemetery — cemetery in Lockport, New York
Arriving in Buffalo, NY
Full guide →The largest city in New York State's Niagara Frontier, Buffalo is a city full of surprises. Though Buffalo is sometimes the butt of jokes about chicken wings, its long-suffering sports teams, and the mountains of snow under which it is supposedly buried each winter, those in the know tell a different story: one of vibrant nightlife, world-class museums and cultural attractions, tight-knit neighborhoods with strong community spirit – and the sunniest summers in Northeastern United States.
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 38m. Total distance: 28.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.4 miles on Kensington Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.03 in tolls one way, starting with New York State Thruway. 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.
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 Buffalo, 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 9.3 miles (I 990): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buffalo, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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