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Trip from Manhattan, NY to Cold Spring, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 16m

Distance

53.4 mi

86 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 11m ★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Cold Spring, NY, NY

Cold Spring, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

Trip Overview

This straightforward 53.4-mile drive from Manhattan, NY, to Cold Spring, NY, can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 16 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 85% of the journey on main roads like the Palisades Interstate Parkway and Henry Hudson Parkway. With an estimated fuel cost of around $9, this trip is quite budget-friendly for a quick escape from the city. Since there are no recommended stops and the drive is relatively short, you'll have plenty of flexibility to head out and back on the same day, enjoying the transition from the bustling Northeast region of New York to its slightly more relaxed upstate counterpart.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Palisades Interstate Parkway 37.4 mi 47m
Bear Mountain-Beacon Highway 5.3 mi 9m
Henry Hudson Parkway 3.5 mi 5m
State Highway 9D 3 mi 5m
US 6 0.7 mi 1m
I 95 EXPR 0.5 mi <1m
Amsterdam Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
George Washington Bridge (upper level) 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Palisades Interstate Parkway — 37.4 mi, about 47m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and Cold Spring, NY.

1

Start on 86th Street Transverse

0.2 mi · 38 sec · 86th Street Transverse
2

Continue on West 86th Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · West 86th Street
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Amsterdam Avenue
4

Turn left onto West 96th Street

0.3 mi · 36 sec · West 96th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Take the ramp

448 ft · 11 sec
Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway
6

Merge onto HH; NY 9A

3.5 mi · 5 min · Henry Hudson Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 42 sec
Exit 14 Toward I 95: George Washington Brigde Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn straight

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 South: George Washington Bridge, New Jersey
9

Merge onto I 95; US 1; US 9

0.4 mi · 43 sec · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
10

Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.5 mi · 48 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
11

Keep slight right at fork onto Palisades Interstate Parkway

37 mi · 47 min · Palisades Interstate Parkway
Exit 74 Toward Palisades Parkway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Enter roundabout onto US 6; US 202

260 ft · 3 sec · US 6; US 202
13

Continue on US 6; US 202

0.6 mi · 1 min · US 6; US 202
14

Turn left onto NY 9D

2.6 mi · 4 min · Bear Mountain-Beacon Highway
Use the left lane.
15

Continue on NY 9D

1.4 mi · 2 min · State Highway 9D
16

Continue on NY 9D

358 ft · 7 sec · Route 9D
17

Continue on NY 9D

1.3 mi · 2 min · State Highway 9D
18

Continue on NY 9D

2.7 mi · 4 min · Bear Mountain-Beacon Highway
19

Continue on NY 9D

0.3 mi · 34 sec · State Highway 9D
20

Continue on NY 9D

0.2 mi · 28 sec · Chestnut Street
21

Turn right onto NY 301

52 ft · 1 sec · Main Street
22

Arrive at destination

NY 301

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

village in New York

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pomona, NY

27 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Yonkers, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Mount Ivy, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Manhattan, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 53.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1 mi into trip | ~3m in | West 96th Street

Turn left onto West 96th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | HH; NY 9A / Henry Hudson Parkway

Merge onto HH; NY 9A / Henry Hudson Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
4.9 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward I 95: George Washington Brigde

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 14 Toward I 95: George Washington Brigde
8
6.8 mi into trip | ~12m in | Palisades Interstate Parkway

Keep slight right at fork onto Palisades Interstate Parkway toward Palisades Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 74 Toward Palisades Parkway
5
53.4 mi into trip | ~1h 16m in | NY 301 / Main Street

Turn right onto NY 301 / Main Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.79 one way

$17.58 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $9.50 $19.01
premium $4.92 $10.35 $20.70
diesel $5.61 $11.79 $23.58

Estimated Tolls: $16.00

George Washington Bridge $16.00

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$16

Total

$25

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16 0 $5.61 $2.56
Efficient EV 13.4 0 $4.67 $2.14
EV Truck/SUV 21.4 0 $7.48 $3.42

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Manhattan, NY

Morning in Manhattan on Tuesday

Local time

6:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers

SW 7 to 10 mph 18% 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

Destination

Cold Spring, NY

Morning in Cold Spring on Tuesday

Local time

6:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Pomona, NY

27 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 cooler at arrival

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

Road read

1h 16m 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 highway-focused experience for most of this 53.4-mile journey, with 85% of the drive utilizing major parkways. You'll spend a good amount of time on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, including a continuous stretch of 37.4 miles, which offers a relatively uninterrupted drive. The transition between roads like the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Bear Mountain-Beacon Highway is designed for smooth travel, keeping your momentum high. This route is built for efficient travel, so you'll likely experience consistent speeds and minimal delays as you head north out of Manhattan.

85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37.4 mi on Palisades Interstate Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Palisades Interstate Parkway and Bear Mountain-Beacon Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near West 96th Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.4 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (West 96th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (HH; NY 9A / Henry Hudson Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Manhattan, NY to Cold Spring, NY, road signs begin pointing toward New Jersey along the way.

New Jersey

5.3 mi in | ~9m

About the Cities

Starting in Manhattan, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1624

Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.

Top landmarks

  • • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA

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 1h 16m. Total distance: 53.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 37.4 miles on Palisades Interstate Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $16.00 in tolls one way, starting with George Washington 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.

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 Cold Spring, 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 1 miles (West 96th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (HH; NY 9A / Henry Hudson Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and Stonewall 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 Cold Spring, 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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