Origin
Mount Vernon, NY
Morning in Mount Vernon on Sunday
Local time
9:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mount Vernon, 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
15m
Distance
8.9 mi
14 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mount Vernon, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Mount Vernon, NY to Washington Heights, NY is 8.9 miles and takes about 15 minutes via Major Deegan Expressway and New York State Thruway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its short distance and duration, it's ideal for a single-day excursion, offering a straightforward connection between these two locations. You'll find the route is a mix of highway and surface roads, making it a practical choice for a brief transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Major Deegan Expressway | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Yonkers Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| New York State Thruway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Nagle Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Broadway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Mount Vernon Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West 207th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Major Deegan Expressway
— 3.5 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mount Vernon, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
1
Start on East Prospect Avenue
56 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Prospect Avenue
2
Turn left onto Gramatan Avenue
361 ft
·
13 sec
·
Gramatan Avenue
3
Turn right onto West 1st Street
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
West 1st Street
4
Turn right onto West Lincoln Avenue
221 ft
·
6 sec
·
West Lincoln Avenue
5
Turn left onto Mount Vernon Avenue
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Mount Vernon Avenue
6
Continue on Yonkers Avenue
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Yonkers Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto Central Park Avenue
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Central Park Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 87 South: New York City
9
Merge onto I 87
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
New York State Thruway
10
Continue on I 87
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Major Deegan Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 9
Toward West Fordham Road, University Heights Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto West Fordham Road
379 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Fordham Road
13
Continue on University Heights Bridge
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
University Heights Bridge
14
Continue on West 207th Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
West 207th Street
15
Turn left onto 10th Avenue
428 ft
·
9 sec
·
10th Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on Nagle Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Nagle Avenue
17
Turn left onto US 9
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
US 9
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Gramatan Avenue
Turn left onto Gramatan Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Central Park Avenue
Turn left onto Central Park Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward West Fordham Road, University Heights Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 9
Toward West Fordham Road, University Heights Br...
7
7.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
10th Avenue
Turn left onto 10th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
US 9 / Broadway
Turn left onto US 9 / Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.45 one way
$2.89 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $1.57 | $3.13 |
| premium | $4.87 | $1.71 | $3.41 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $1.89 | $3.79 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.06
New York State Thruway
(1.1 mi)
$0.06
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Tolls
$0
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.93 | $0.43 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.78 | $0.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Washington Heights, NY
Morning in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
9:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Rain Showers
E 10 mph
97% 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
5 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
15m 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 8.9-mile drive is about 40% highway, meaning you'll encounter a good portion of expressway driving. The longest continuous stretch on the highway is 3.5 miles on the Major Deegan Expressway. Expect a mixed profile, transitioning from expressway to surface roads as you approach your destination. You'll notice the dense network of exits and entrances common to urban highway systems.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.5 mi on Major Deegan Expressway.
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 early in the drive near Gramatan Avenue.
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 8.9 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: near the start (Gramatan Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (Central Park Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Mount Vernon, NY
Full guide →Founded 1892
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County in New York.
Top landmarks
- • Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site — national Historic Site of the United States
- • Trinity Episcopal Church Complex — church building in Mount Vernon, New York, United States
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 15m. Total distance: 8.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m 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 3.5 miles on Major Deegan Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.06 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 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: near the start (Gramatan Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (Central Park Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Stonewall 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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