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Trip from New York City, NY to City Island, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

41m

Distance

20.1 mi

32 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 38m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m

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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most populous city in the United States

New York City, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown City Island, NY, NY

City Island, NY

Clément Proust

Trip Overview

This quick 20.1-mile drive from New York City to City Island in New York is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking only about 41 minutes to complete. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, it's an economical excursion. The route primarily utilizes major arteries like the FDR Drive and Bruckner Expressway, offering a predominantly highway experience for about 34% of the journey. This drive is perfect for a spontaneous outing or a dedicated afternoon adventure within the Northeast region, requiring no overnight stays. It offers a straightforward path to a distinct destination.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
FDR Drive 7.7 mi 14m
Bruckner Expressway 6.9 mi 10m
City Island Road 1.2 mi 2m
City Island Avenue 0.6 mi 2m
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge 0.6 mi 1m
Shore Road 0.4 mi 1m
Charles J. Crimi Road 0.4 mi 1m
Frankfort Street 0.2 mi 1m
Longest stretch: FDR Drive — 7.7 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between New York City, NY and City Island, NY.

1

Start on Broadway

79 ft · 10 sec · Broadway
2

Turn left onto Chambers Street

0.1 mi · 36 sec · Chambers Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
3

Turn right onto Centre Street

329 ft · 15 sec · Centre Street
4

Turn straight

261 ft · 11 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Turn straight onto Park Row

120 ft · 12 sec · Park Row
6

Continue on Park Row

436 ft · 24 sec · Park Row
Toward FDR Drive Use the left lane.
7

Continue on Frankfort Street

0.2 mi · 1 min · Frankfort Street
Toward FDR Drive
8

Turn left onto Pearl Street

51 ft · 4 sec · Pearl Street
Use the left lane.
9

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward FDR Drive North
10

Merge onto FDR

7.7 mi · 14 min · FDR Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 17 Toward I 278: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Brunckner Expressway, Gran Central Parkway Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge

0.4 mi · 40 sec · Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
13

Keep straight at fork

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward I 278 East, I 87 North: Bronx, Yankee Stadium
14

Continue on this road

0.2 mi · 29 sec · this road
Exit 46
15

Merge onto I 278

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
16

Continue on I 278

6.9 mi · 10 min · Bruckner Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 43 sec
Exit 8 Toward Pelham Parkway, Orchard Beach, City Island Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn straight onto Charles J. Crimi Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Charles J. Crimi Road
19

Turn straight onto Shore Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Shore Road
20

Turn right onto City Island Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · City Island Road
21

Enter roundabout onto City Island Road

418 ft · 7 sec · City Island Road
22

Continue on City Island Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · City Island Road
23

Continue on City Island Bridge

0.2 mi · 34 sec · City Island Bridge
24

Continue on City Island Avenue

0.6 mi · 2 min · City Island Avenue
25

Arrive at destination

City Island Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 17.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Chambers Street

Turn left onto Chambers Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
6
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Park Row

Continue onto Park Row toward FDR Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward FDR Drive
7
0.6 mi into trip | ~2m in | Pearl Street

Turn left onto Pearl Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
8.8 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward I 278: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Brunckner Expressway, Gran Central Parkway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 17 Toward I 278: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Brunckn...
8
17.1 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward Pelham Parkway, Orchard Beach, City Island

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 8 Toward Pelham Parkway, Orchard Beach, City Isla...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.31 one way

$6.62 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $3.58 $7.16
premium $4.92 $3.90 $7.79
diesel $5.61 $4.44 $8.88

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6 0 $2.11 $0.96
Efficient EV 5 0 $1.76 $0.80
EV Truck/SUV 8 0 $2.81 $1.29

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 20, 2026

Origin

New York City, NY

Morning in New York City on Tuesday

Local time

8:33 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°F

Partly Sunny

NW 15 to 18 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 1:57PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 8:03AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Destination

City Island, NY

Morning in City Island on Tuesday

Local time

8:33 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Partly Sunny

NW 13 to 16 mph 14% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 1:57PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 20 at 8:03AM 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

2 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

41m 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 mixed driving profile on this route, blending urban expressways with more localized roads. The majority of your travel will be on the FDR Drive and Bruckner Expressway, sections that allow for consistent speed. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.7 miles on the FDR Drive, providing a good period of steady travel. As you approach City Island, the character shifts to City Island Road, presenting a more local feel. With 34% of the journey on highways, you'll experience a good balance between cruising and navigating more community-focused roadways.

34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.7 mi on FDR Drive.

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 early in the drive near Chambers 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 12 decision points packed into just 20.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Chambers Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Park Row): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (Pearl Street): 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.

Between New York City, NY and City Island, NY, road signs point toward Yankee Stadium and Orchard Beach.

Yankee Stadium

9.6 mi in | ~21m

Orchard Beach

17.1 mi in | ~32m

About the Cities

Starting in New York City, NY

Full guide →

“The City That Never Sleeps” · Founded 1624

New York (known as "The Big Apple", "NYC," and often called "New York City") is a global center for media, entertainment, art, fashion, research, finance, and trade. The bustling, cosmopolitan heart of the 4th largest metropolis in the world and by far the most populous city in the United States, New York has long been a key entry point and a defining city for the nation. From the Statue of Liberty in the harbor to the Empire State Building towering over the Manhattan skyline, from the tunnels of the subway to the riches of Wall Street, from the bright signs of Times Square to the naturalistic beauty of Central Park, and from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York's landmarks are quintessential American landmarks. The city's neighborhoods and streets are so iconic they have become ingrained into the American consciousness.

Top landmarks

  • • Statue of Liberty — American icon in New York, United States
  • • National September 11 Memorial & Museum — memorial & museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks
  • • Plaza Hotel — hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City

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 41m. Total distance: 20.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (34%). 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 7.7 miles on FDR Drive. 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 City Island, 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 (Chambers Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Park Row): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (Pearl Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Castle Clinton National Monument and Federal Hall 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 City Island, 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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