Origin
Maspeth, NY
Afternoon in Maspeth on Sunday
Local time
3:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Maspeth, NY to Washington Heights, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
11 mi
18 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Maspeth, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Maspeth, NY to Washington Heights, NY is 11 miles and takes about 22m via Harlem River Drive/Robert F. Kennedy Bridge/Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given the brief driving time and mostly surface road profile, this is a straightforward local transit rather than an extensive road trip. It's a practical option for getting from one borough to another without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harlem River Drive | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Maurice Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 65th Place | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West 179th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Harlem River Drive
— 2.3 mi, about 3m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 7 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,026 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,234 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
3.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 21 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Maspeth, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
1
Start on Maspeth Avenue
9 ft
·
6 sec
·
Maspeth Avenue
2
Turn sharp right onto Maurice Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Maurice Avenue
3
Turn left onto 65th Place
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
65th Place
4
Turn right onto Queens Boulevard
107 ft
·
3 sec
·
Queens Boulevard
5
Turn slight right
292 ft
·
17 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 278 East: Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
7
Merge onto I 278
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan, Bronx
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto GCP; I 278
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
10
Continue on I 278
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 46
Toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46
Toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
13
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
14
Keep slight right at fork
127 ft
·
3 sec
Toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward Harlem River Drive North
Use the slight right lane.
16
Merge onto HRD
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Harlem River Drive
17
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 24
Toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washington Bridge, Amsterdam Avenue, West 179 Street
Use the slight left lane.
18
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
Toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yeshiva University
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
19
Turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue
125 ft
·
9 sec
·
Amsterdam Avenue
20
Turn left onto West 179th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
West 179th Street
Toward G.W. Bridge, Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Museum
21
Turn right onto US 9
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Broadway
22
Arrive at destination
US 9
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 10.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan, Bronx
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 278 East: Triborough Bridge, Manhattan...
8
6.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward Manhattan, Randalls Island
8
7.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street, 2nd Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Harlem River Drive North, 125th Street,...
8
9.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washington Bridge, Amsterdam Avenue, West 179 Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 24
Toward I 95 South, US 1 South: George Washingto...
8
10.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yeshiva University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Amsterdam Avenue, West 179th Street, Yes...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.79 one way
$3.58 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $1.93 | $3.87 |
| premium | $4.87 | $2.11 | $4.21 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $1.62 | $3.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.53 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.96 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.54 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Washington Heights, NY
Afternoon in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
3:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Rain Showers
SE 8 to 12 mph
88% chance
Live forecast
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
1 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
22m 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?
This route is mostly surface roads, with only 27% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a stretch of 2.3 miles on Harlem River Drive, which is the longest continuous segment on a single road. Expect urban merging and frequent intersections as you transition between the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West and surface streets. The highway portion is relatively brief.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Harlem River Drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 2.7 miles in near I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
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 18 decision points packed into just 11 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Maspeth, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Bronx, Randalls Island, Harlem River Drive North and Yeshiva University.
Manhattan
2.7 mi in
|
~6m
|
via I 278
Bronx
2.7 mi in
|
~6m
|
via I 278
Randalls Island
6.2 mi in
|
~12m
Harlem River Drive North
7.2 mi in
|
~14m
Yeshiva University
10.4 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Starting in Maspeth, NY
Full guide →Founded 1642
Arriving in Washington Heights, NY
Full guide →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 22m. Total distance: 11 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Harlem River Drive. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Washington Heights, 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 2.7 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and African Burial Ground 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 Washington Heights, 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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