Origin
Medina, NY
Late night in Medina on Sunday
Local time
12:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Medina, NY to Buffalo, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
43.2 mi
69 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Medina, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 43.2 miles, the drive from Medina to Buffalo is an efficient one-hour journey through the Northeast. You can easily complete this trip in a single day, as it functions perfectly as a quick point-to-point transit. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $7, the route remains highly economical for travelers. You will navigate using a combination of Alleghany Road, the Kensington Expressway, and the New York State Thruway. Because the entire trip is located within New York, you stay within the same regional landscape for the duration of your travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New York State Thruway | 19 mi | 22m |
| Alleghany Road | 8.9 mi | 13m |
| Kensington Expressway | 6.4 mi | 8m |
| South Gravel Road | 5.4 mi | 7m |
| Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Genesee Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Huron Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New York State Thruway
— 19 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Medina, NY and Buffalo, NY.
1
Start on NY 31; NY 63
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
2
Continue on NY 63
5.4 mi
·
7 min
·
South Gravel Road
3
Continue on NY 63
8.9 mi
·
13 min
·
Alleghany Road
4
Take the ramp
369 ft
·
9 sec
5
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
this road
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 West: Buffalo
7
Merge onto I 90
19 mi
·
22 min
·
New York State Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 51W
Toward NY 33 West: Buffalo
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto NY 33
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Kensington Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Oak Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Oak Street
428 ft
·
14 sec
·
Oak Street
12
Turn right onto Genesee Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Genesee Street
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto East Huron Street
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
East Huron Street
14
Turn left onto Franklin Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Franklin Street
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto Genesee Street
402 ft
·
11 sec
·
Genesee Street
16
Enter roundabout onto NY 384
391 ft
·
11 sec
·
Niagara Square
17
Arrive at destination
NY 384
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.6 miles from Medina, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 15.4 and 42.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
15.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 West: Buffalo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 90 West: Buffalo
7
35.3 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward NY 33 West: Buffalo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 51W
Toward NY 33 West: Buffalo
7
42 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Oak Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Oak Street
6
42.5 mi into trip
|
~58m in
|
Genesee Street
Turn right onto Genesee Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
42.9 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
Franklin Street
Turn left onto Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.11 one way
$14.22 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.69 | $15.38 |
| premium | $4.92 | $8.37 | $16.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.54 | $19.08 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.95
New York State Thruway
(19 mi)
$0.95
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13 | 0 | $4.54 | $2.07 |
| Efficient EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.05 | $2.76 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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
Buffalo, NY
Late night in Buffalo on Sunday
Local time
12:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 1 to 12 mph
23% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 11:26AM EDT until April 15 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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
8 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 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 turn-heavy local drive that demands your attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. While 15% of your time is spent on highways, the route transitions frequently between local roads and faster arterial stretches. You will experience your longest uninterrupted segment during a 19-mile stretch on the New York State Thruway. This mix keeps the drive engaging, moving you from quieter local environments into the more complex, high-traffic corridors near Buffalo. Prepare for a varied experience behind the wheel that balances technical turns with brief moments of highway speed.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on New York State Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 15.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.2 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 15.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 35.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 42 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Medina, NY
Full guide →Founded 1817
Medina is a village in Orleans County, New York.
Top landmarks
- • Medina Railroad Museum — railroad museum in Medina, New York, United States
- • Main Street Historic District — historic district in Medina, New York
- • Boxwood Cemetery — cemetery in Medina, New York
Arriving in Buffalo, NY
Full guide →The largest city in New York State's Niagara Frontier, Buffalo is a city full of surprises. Though Buffalo is sometimes the butt of jokes about chicken wings, its long-suffering sports teams, and the mountains of snow under which it is supposedly buried each winter, those in the know tell a different story: one of vibrant nightlife, world-class museums and cultural attractions, tight-knit neighborhoods with strong community spirit – and the sunniest summers in Northeastern United States.
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. Total distance: 43.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19 miles on New York State Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.95 in tolls one way, starting with New York State Thruway. 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 Buffalo, 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 15.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 35.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 42 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buffalo, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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