Origin
Melrose, NY
Morning in Melrose on Sunday
Local time
6:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Melrose, NY to Brooklyn, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
16.1 mi
26 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Melrose, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Brooklyn, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Melrose, NY to Brooklyn, NY is 16.1 miles and takes about 34m via Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within New York, taking you from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a mixed drive that's mostly highway, making it a straightforward option for a short hop. Given the brief duration, it's ideal for when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 5.7 mi | 9m |
| Washington Avenue | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Saint Ann's Avenue | 1.4 mi | 4m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Flatbush Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Linden Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
— 5.7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melrose, NY and Brooklyn, NY.
1
Start on East 163rd Street
502 ft
·
21 sec
·
East 163rd Street
2
Turn right onto Third Avenue
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Third Avenue
3
Turn sharp left onto East 161st Street
118 ft
·
7 sec
·
East 161st Street
4
Turn right onto Saint Ann's Avenue
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Saint Ann's Avenue
5
Turn left onto East 134th Street
265 ft
·
9 sec
·
East 134th Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 278 West: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Manhattan, Queens
7
Continue on I 278
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 278; GCP
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
5.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Toward I 278 West: Staten Island
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 31
Toward Wythe Avenue, Kent Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto Williamsburg Street West
0.3 mi
·
58 sec
·
Williamsburg Street West
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto Flushing Avenue
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Flushing Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto Washington Avenue
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Washington Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Empire Boulevard
413 ft
·
18 sec
·
Empire Boulevard
16
Turn left onto Flatbush Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Flatbush Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
17
Turn left onto NY 27
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
Caton Avenue
18
Continue on NY 27
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
·
Linden Boulevard
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto Nostrand Avenue
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Nostrand Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Nostrand Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 11.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 161st Street
Turn sharp left onto East 161st Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
8
5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
7
10.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway toward I 278 West: Staten Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 278 West: Staten Island
8
11.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward Wythe Avenue, Kent Avenue
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 31
Toward Wythe Avenue, Kent Avenue
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Flushing Avenue
Turn right onto Flushing Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.65 one way
$5.30 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.87 | $5.73 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.12 | $6.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.55 | $7.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.69 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Brooklyn, NY
Morning in Brooklyn on Sunday
Local time
6:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
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
3 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
34m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 46% highway share, meaning you'll experience a blend of faster-paced driving and more local road conditions. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 5.7 miles on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West. As you progress, anticipate navigating through varied traffic patterns as you transition from the initial roads to the expressway and then into the urban environment of Brooklyn. The drive offers a dynamic feel, shifting from open highway to more built-up areas.
46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near East 161st Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 16.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (East 161st Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 5 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Melrose, NY and Brooklyn, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
Manhattan
1.7 mi in
|
~5m
Queens
1.7 mi in
|
~5m
Staten Island
5 mi in
|
~12m
|
via I 278
About the Cities
Arriving in Brooklyn, NY
Full guide →Founded 1634
Brooklyn, the "Borough of Homes and Churches," is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It used to be a separate city, and still feels much like one. It has about 2.5 million inhabitants. If separated from the rest of New York City, Brooklyn would be the 4th most populous American city. Brooklyn is on the westernmost point of Long Island and shares a land boundary with Queens, which partially encircles Brooklyn to the north, east and south; Manhattan lies across the East River to the west and north of Brooklyn, and Staten Island is across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the southwest. Brooklyn is enjoying a period of growth and affluence not seen since before World War II. The Brooklyn Academy of Music boasts world-class theater performances, and the nearby Barclays Center is the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.
Top landmarks
- • Brooklyn Bridge — bridge in New York City, crossing the East River
- • Brooklyn Museum — art museum in Brooklyn, New York
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 34m. Total distance: 16.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 miles on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Brooklyn, 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 0.2 miles (East 161st Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 5 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and General Grant National Memorial (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 Brooklyn, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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