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

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

26m

Distance

11.9 mi

19 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m

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

most populous city in the United States

New York City, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Coney Island, NY, NY

Coney Island, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

New York City, NY to Coney Island, NY is 11.9 miles and takes about 26m via McDonald Avenue, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within New York, making it a convenient local excursion. The drive offers a mixed experience, transitioning from city streets to highway segments. It’s a straightforward trip, ideal for a quick getaway or a leisurely afternoon exploring a distinct part of the city. Consider this route if you're looking for an easy drive with minimal planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
McDonald Avenue 2.4 mi 4m
Stillwell Avenue 2 mi 4m
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway 1.9 mi 3m
Bay Parkway 1.1 mi 2m
Brooklyn Bridge 1.1 mi 2m
NY 27 1 mi 1m
Neptune Avenue 1 mi 3m
Gowanus Expressway 0.6 mi <1m
Longest stretch: McDonald Avenue — 2.4 mi, about 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Centre Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Continue on Brooklyn Bridge

1.1 mi · 2 min · Brooklyn Bridge
5

Take the exit

343 ft · 9 sec
Toward I 278: Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Cadman Plaza West Use the right lane.
6

Turn right

254 ft · 9 sec
Toward I 278: Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
7

Turn right onto Cadman Plaza West

232 ft · 6 sec · Cadman Plaza West
8

Continue on Old Fulton Street

0.1 mi · 25 sec · Old Fulton Street
9

Turn left onto Hicks Street

314 ft · 13 sec · Hicks Street
Toward Brooklyn-Queens Expressway west Use the left lane.
10

Continue on this road

0.1 mi · 15 sec · this road
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
11

Merge onto I 278

1.9 mi · 3 min · Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
12

Continue on I 278

0.6 mi · 50 sec · Gowanus Expressway
13

Take the exit onto NY 27

1.0 mi · 1 min · NY 27
Exit 24 Toward NY 27 East: Prospect Expressway Use the slight left / straight lanes.
14

Take the exit onto NY 27 Truck

0.2 mi · 27 sec · NY 27 Truck
Exit 4 Toward NY 27 East TRUCK: 10th Avenue, 11th Avenue, Jewish Children's Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn right onto NY 27 Truck

262 ft · 11 sec · 10th Avenue
Use the right lane.
16

Turn left onto NY 27 Truck

2.4 mi · 4 min · McDonald Avenue
Use the slight left / right lanes.
17

Turn slight right onto Bay Parkway

1.1 mi · 2 min · Bay Parkway
18

Turn left onto Stillwell Avenue

2.0 mi · 4 min · Stillwell Avenue
19

Turn right onto Neptune Avenue

0.8 mi · 2 min · Neptune Avenue
20

Continue on Neptune Avenue

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Neptune Avenue
21

Arrive at destination

Neptune Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 5.2 — 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.
7
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Centre Street

Turn right onto Centre Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
7
1.3 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the exit toward I 278: Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Cadman Plaza West

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

Use the right lane. Toward I 278: Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Cadma...
7
1.6 mi into trip | ~4m in | Hicks Street

Turn left onto Hicks Street toward Brooklyn-Queens Expressway west

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward Brooklyn-Queens Expressway west
8
5.2 mi into trip | ~10m in | NY 27 Truck

Take the exit onto NY 27 Truck toward NY 27 East TRUCK: 10th Avenue, 11th Avenue, Jewish Children's Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum

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 4 Toward NY 27 East TRUCK: 10th Avenue, 11th Aven...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.96 one way

$3.92 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $2.12 $4.24
premium $4.92 $2.31 $4.61
diesel $5.61 $2.63 $5.25

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.6 0 $1.25 $0.57
Efficient EV 3 0 $1.04 $0.48
EV Truck/SUV 4.8 0 $1.67 $0.76

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 15, 2026

Origin

New York City, NY

Morning in New York City on Sunday

Local time

9:46 AM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Coney Island, NY

Morning in Coney Island on Sunday

Local time

9:46 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°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

14 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

26m 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 is a mixed drive, meaning you'll encounter both city streets and highway stretches. With 40% of the journey on the highway, expect some faster-paced sections interspersed with more urban driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 2.4 miles on McDonald Avenue, offering a brief period of consistent travel before you navigate other main roads like Stillwell Avenue and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The character of the drive shifts as you progress, moving from potentially busy avenues to the higher speeds of the expressway.

40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.4 mi on McDonald Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 11.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Chambers Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Centre Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 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.

Between New York City, NY and Coney Island, NY, road signs point toward Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, Jewish Children's Museum and Brooklyn Children's Museum.

Cadman Plaza West

1.3 mi in | ~3m

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West

1.6 mi in | ~4m | via Hicks Street

Jewish Children's Museum

5.2 mi in | ~10m | via NY 27 Truck

Brooklyn Children's Museum

5.2 mi in | ~10m | via NY 27 Truck

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 26m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

26m 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 2.4 miles on McDonald Avenue. 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 Coney 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 0.1 miles (Centre Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and Castle Clinton 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 Coney 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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