Origin
Melrose, NY
Late night in Melrose on Sunday
Local time
4:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Melrose, NY to Bushwick, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Melrose, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Bushwick, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Melrose, NY to Bushwick, NY is 12.9 miles and takes about 28 minutes via 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 State, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a mixed drive that is mostly highway, making it a quick and straightforward journey. It's a good option for a brief excursion or a quick hop between boroughs, easily completed within a single day. Consider this route for its efficiency and directness, especially if you're looking to minimize travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 4.4 mi | 7m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Bushwick Avenue | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Saint Ann's Avenue | 1.4 mi | 4m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Vandervoort Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Grand Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Linden Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
— 4.4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melrose, NY and Bushwick, 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
4.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 34
Toward Meeker Avenue, Morgan Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn left onto Vandervoort Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Vandervoort Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
At end of road, turn right onto Grand Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Street
Use the right lane.
13
Turn left onto Bushwick Avenue
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Bushwick Avenue
14
Turn left onto Linden Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Linden Street
15
Arrive at destination
Linden Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 10.4 — 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
8
9.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Meeker Avenue, Morgan 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 34
Toward Meeker Avenue, Morgan Avenue
6
9.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Vandervoort Avenue
Turn left onto Vandervoort Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
10.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Grand Street
At end of road, turn right onto Grand Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.12 one way
$4.25 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.30 | $4.59 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Bushwick, NY
Late night in Bushwick on Sunday
Local time
4:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Partly Sunny
S 12 mph
3% 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
36 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
28m 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 drive offers a mixed experience, with about 40% of the route being highway. You'll encounter stretches on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, which is the longest uninterrupted segment at 4.4 miles. The road character shifts as you progress, blending faster-paced highway driving with local road sections like Bushwick Avenue. This means you'll need to be ready to adjust your speed and awareness as you navigate between these different driving environments. The overall feel is one of urban transit, connecting different parts of the metropolitan area.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.4 mi on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near East 161st Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 12.9 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 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 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Melrose, NY and Bushwick, 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
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). 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 4.4 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 Bushwick, 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 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Bushwick, 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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