Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
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
North Hills, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Manhattan, NY to North Hills, NY is 20.4 miles and takes about 37 minutes via Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, moving from the bustling Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick transfer, perhaps for business or a short visit, and doesn't require extensive planning. You'll find it's a straightforward connection between two points within the same general area.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 13.3 mi | 19m |
| NY 25 | 2 mi | 3m |
| South Service Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Borden Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| 5th Avenue | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| Shelter Rock Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Van Dam Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and North Hills, NY.
Start on 86th Street Transverse
Turn right onto 5th Avenue
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
Take the ramp onto NY 25
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
Turn left onto Borden Avenue
Take the ramp onto Borden Avenue
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Turn straight onto South Service Road
Turn left onto Shelter Rock Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 19.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp onto NY 25 toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25 toward NY 25A, NY 25
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto Shelter Rock Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.32 one way
$6.63 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $3.59 | $7.18 |
| premium | $4.87 | $3.91 | $7.82 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $4.34 | $8.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
3:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 12:05AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Late night in North Hills on Sunday
Local time
3:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 12:05AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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.
This drive is mostly highway, with 75% of the 20.4 miles on high-speed roads like the Long Island Expressway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 13.3 miles on the Long Island Expressway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect a relatively continuous flow with numerous exits and merges common to major expressways in this region. The final portion will involve navigating local roads as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and NY 25. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near 2nd Avenue.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 20.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (2nd Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (NY 25): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (NY 25): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Manhattan, NY and North Hills, NY, road signs point toward Lower Roadway, Eastern Long Island and Manhasset.
Lower Roadway
Eastern Long Island
Manhasset
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 37m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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