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
14.2 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Kensington, NY
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a quick excursion from Manhattan to Kensington, you are looking at a brief 14.2-mile journey that typically takes about 30 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited as a single-day outing, requiring no overnight stays or complex logistics. You will navigate primarily via the FDR Drive, NY 27, and East 79th Street to reach your destination within the Northeast region. Budgeting is straightforward for this short distance, with an estimated fuel cost of just $2. Because the drive is so efficient, it serves as a practical connection between these two New York locations.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| FDR Drive | 7 mi | 13m |
| NY 27 | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| East 79th Street | 1 mi | 3m |
| Gowanus Expressway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| 86th Street Transverse | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Caton Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 5th Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Coney Island Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and Kensington, NY.
Start on 86th Street Transverse
Turn right onto 5th Avenue
Turn left onto East 79th Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto FDR
Take the exit
Continue on I 278
Take the exit onto NY 27
Take the exit onto NY 27
Turn left onto NY 27
Turn right onto NY 27
Turn left onto Turner Place
Turn left onto Stratford Road
Turn left onto Albemarle Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 13.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto East 79th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit onto NY 27 toward NY 27 East: Prospect Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto NY 27 toward NY 27 East: SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto NY 27 / Coney Island Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.34 one way
$4.67 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.53 | $5.05 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.75 | $5.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.14 | $6.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.24 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Manhattan on Sunday
Local time
3:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Kensington on Sunday
Local time
3:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
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
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.
Expect a turn-heavy, local-focused experience rather than a long-haul interstate cruise. Only 17% of this route involves highway driving, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating city streets. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during the 7 miles you spend on the FDR Drive, which serves as the primary artery for the trip. Once you transition off the highway, the road character shifts into a more technical, urban environment. Prepare for frequent adjustments behind the wheel as you move from high-speed transit into the local roads that define the final portion of your trip.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near East 79th Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 14.2 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 0.6 miles (East 79th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.7 miles (NY 27): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
129 ft
Total Descent
190 ft
Highest Point
126 ft
~12.4 mi in
Elevation Range
123 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Manhattan, NY and Kensington, NY, road signs point toward Fdr Drive South and Brooklyn.
Fdr Drive South
Brooklyn
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 14.2 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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