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Trip from Melrose, NY to Sheepshead Bay, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

43m

Distance

19.1 mi

31 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 40m ★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Melrose, NY, NY

Melrose, NY

Renan Tagliaferro

neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

Sheepshead Bay, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Melrose, NY to Sheepshead Bay, NY is 19.1 miles and takes about 43m via Kings Highway and Nostrand Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick day trip. You'll primarily be on surface roads, so expect a more connected-to-the-landscape feel rather than a high-speed transit. Plan for moderate travel times, keeping in mind it's a single-day excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kings Highway 3.6 mi 6m
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge 2.3 mi 4m
Nostrand Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
69th Street 1.6 mi 4m
Fresh Pond Road 1.5 mi 3m
Saint Ann's Avenue 1.4 mi 4m
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West 1.3 mi 1m
Grand Central Parkway 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Kings Highway — 3.6 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Melrose, NY and Sheepshead Bay, 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

1.3 mi · 1 min · Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island Use the slight right lane.
10

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Exit 40 Toward Broadway, Roosevelt Avenue Use the slight right lane.
11

Keep slight left at fork

341 ft · 11 sec
Toward Broadway East, 69th Street, Roosevelt Avenue, 37th Avenue Use the straight / left lanes.
12

Turn straight onto 69th Street

1.6 mi · 4 min · 69th Street
13

Turn right onto Grand Avenue

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Grand Avenue
14

Keep slight left at fork onto Flushing Avenue

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Flushing Avenue
15

Turn left onto Fresh Pond Road

1.5 mi · 3 min · Fresh Pond Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16

At end of road, turn left onto Myrtle Avenue

88 ft · 4 sec · Myrtle Avenue
17

Turn right onto 61st Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · 61st Street
18

Turn right onto Cooper Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Cooper Avenue
19

Continue on Cooper Street

0.8 mi · 2 min · Cooper Street
20

Continue on Rockaway Avenue

0.8 mi · 2 min · Rockaway Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
21

Turn right onto East New York Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · East New York Avenue
Use the straight / left / slight right lanes.
22

Turn left onto Howard Avenue

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Howard Avenue
23

Continue on Tapscott Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Tapscott Street
24

Continue on Kings Highway

3.6 mi · 6 min · Kings Highway
Use the straight lane.
25

Turn left onto Nostrand Avenue

1.7 mi · 3 min · Nostrand Avenue
Use the left lane.
26

Turn right onto Avenue Y

0.2 mi · 1 min · Avenue Y
27

Arrive at destination

Avenue Y

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 6.4 — 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

5
1.7 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the ramp toward I 278 West: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Manhattan, Queens

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 278 West: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Ma...
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
6.3 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward Broadway, Roosevelt 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 40 Toward Broadway, Roosevelt Avenue
9
6.4 mi into trip | ~14m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Broadway East, 69th Street, Roosevelt Avenue, 37th Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward Broadway East, 69th Street, Roosevelt Av...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.10 one way

$6.21 round trip

$4.13/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.47 $3.36 $6.72
premium $4.87 $3.66 $7.32
diesel $5.40 $4.06 $8.13

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.7 0 $2.01 $0.92
Efficient EV 4.8 0 $1.67 $0.76
EV Truck/SUV 7.6 0 $2.67 $1.22

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026

Origin

Melrose, NY

Morning in Melrose on Sunday

Local time

6:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Rain Showers

E 10 mph 98% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY

Destination

Sheepshead Bay, NY

Morning in Sheepshead Bay on Sunday

Local time

6:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

43°F

Rain Showers

E 14 mph 97% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo 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

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

43m 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 about 11% on highways. You'll experience about 3.6 miles on Kings Highway as the longest stretch on a single road. Expect to transition from highway cruising to navigating city streets as you get closer to your destination. The majority of your time will be spent on roads with traffic lights and local intersections.

Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.6 mi on Kings Highway.

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 0.2 miles in near East 161st Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.

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 1.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; 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.

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 Sheepshead Bay, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Broadway and Broadway East.

Manhattan

1.7 mi in | ~5m

Queens

1.7 mi in | ~5m

Staten Island

5 mi in | ~12m | via I 278

Broadway

6.3 mi in | ~14m

Broadway East

6.4 mi in | ~14m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 19.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

43m 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 3.6 miles on Kings Highway. 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 Sheepshead Bay, 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 1.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; 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.

Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area, General Grant National Memorial and Hamilton Grange 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 Sheepshead Bay, 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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