Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
30.3 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
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 Merrick, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Traveling from Manhattan to North Merrick covers a modest 30.3-mile distance that typically takes about 50 minutes to complete. Because of the manageable duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You will navigate through the Northeast region using a combination of city streets, specifically 5th Avenue, East 72nd Street, and 2nd Avenue. Budgeting roughly $5 for fuel should be sufficient for the journey. It is a straightforward transit that avoids the complexity of long-distance travel, making it an ideal candidate for a quick excursion.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern State Parkway | 9.6 mi | 13m |
| Belt Parkway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Long Island Expressway | 4 mi | 6m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| NY 25 | 2 mi | 3m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Borden Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and North Merrick, 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
Take the ramp
Merge onto GCP
Take the exit
Merge onto I 678
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on this road
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto BP
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
Take the exit
Turn right onto Merrick Avenue North
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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.
A short stop after about 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 15.1 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 9.4 and 30 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 27 East: Eastern Long Island, Belt Parkway East, South Conduit Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway toward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Merrick Avenue North, Westbury
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$4.99 one way
$9.98 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $5.39 | $10.79 |
| premium | $4.92 | $5.87 | $11.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.69 | $13.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Afternoon in Manhattan on Sunday
Local time
3:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Afternoon in North Merrick on Sunday
Local time
3:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
42°F
Hillside, NY
15 mi in
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 drive that demands your full attention from the moment you leave Manhattan. Unlike a high-speed interstate commute, this route features a 0% highway share, meaning your pace will be dictated by city traffic and intersection navigation. You won't find any long, uninterrupted stretches here, as the longest segment is 0 miles on 5th Avenue. The personality of this drive is strictly urban, requiring frequent gear shifts and careful maneuvering through dense local corridors. Prepare for a hands-on experience behind the wheel rather than a passive highway cruise.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern State Parkway and Belt Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.4 miles in.
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 23 decision points packed into just 30.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
95 ft
Total Descent
155 ft
Highest Point
107 ft
Elevation Range
95 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Manhattan, NY and North Merrick, NY, road signs point toward Lower Roadway, Eastern Long Island, Grand Central Parkway East, Kennedy Airport, Terminals 7 8 and Belt Parkway East.
Lower Roadway
Eastern Long Island
Grand Central Parkway East
Kennedy Airport
Terminals 7 8
Belt Parkway East
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 50m. Total distance: 30.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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