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Trip from Niagara Falls, NY to Sunset Beach, NY

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

Drive Time

39m

Distance

22.3 mi

36 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

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

Best Time
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city in New York, United States

Niagara Falls, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Sunset Beach, NY, NY

Sunset Beach, NY

Sarah O'Shea

Trip Overview

Niagara Falls, NY to Sunset Beach, NY is 22.3 miles and takes about 39 minutes via Lake Road and Creek Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a turn-heavy, local drive with no highway time, making it a relaxed way to travel between these two locations. With its short distance and minimal fuel cost, this route offers a flexible option for a quick excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Lake Road 8.5 mi 11m
Creek Road 7.5 mi 11m
Lewiston Road 3.9 mi 6m
Main Street 1.5 mi 3m
Sunset Island Road 0.4 mi 3m
Pine Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Lake Road — 8.5 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Niagara Falls, NY and Sunset Beach, NY.

1

Start on Pine Avenue

68 ft · 5 sec · Pine Avenue
2

Turn left onto NY 104

1.5 mi · 3 min · Main Street
3

Continue on NY 104

3.9 mi · 6 min · Lewiston Road
4

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 18

5.3 mi · 7 min · Creek Road
5

Continue on NY 18

2.2 mi · 3 min · Creek Road
6

Continue on NY 18

8.5 mi · 11 min · Lake Road
7

Turn left

0.2 mi · 1 min
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 1 min
9

Turn left onto Sunset Island Road

0.4 mi · 3 min · Sunset Island Road
10

Arrive at destination

Sunset Island Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | NY 104 / Main Street

Turn left onto NY 104 / Main Street

Navigation decision point

4
5.3 mi into trip | ~10m in | NY 18 / Creek Road

Keep slight right at fork onto NY 18 / Creek Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
21.4 mi into trip | ~33m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

5
21.6 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

3
21.8 mi into trip | ~36m in | Sunset Island Road

Turn left onto Sunset Island Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.61 one way

$7.22 round trip

$4.11/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.46 $3.91 $7.83
premium $4.85 $4.26 $8.51
diesel $4.80 $4.21 $8.42

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.7 0 $2.34 $1.07
Efficient EV 5.6 0 $1.95 $0.89
EV Truck/SUV 8.9 0 $3.12 $1.43

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 Jul 4, 2026

Origin

Niagara Falls, NY

Morning in Niagara Falls on Sunday

Local time

6:26 AM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Chance Rain Showers

SW 3 to 7 mph 51% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 3 at 8:04PM EDT until July 4 at 7:00PM EDT by NWS Albany NY

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued July 3 at 5:16PM EDT until July 3 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Destination

Sunset Beach, NY

Morning in Sunset Beach on Sunday

Local time

6:26 AM

EDT

Current temp

70°F

Chance Rain Showers

SW 5 to 9 mph 54% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 3 at 8:04PM EDT until July 4 at 7:00PM EDT by NWS Albany NY

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued July 3 at 5:16PM EDT until July 3 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Upton 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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

39m 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 characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with a 0% highway share. You'll navigate primarily on Lake Road, Creek Road, and Lewiston Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.5 miles on Lake Road. Given the frequent turns and local road nature, this drive requires your consistent attention and is best suited for those who prefer a more engaging driving experience over high-speed travel.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.5 mi on Lake Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 5 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near NY 104 / Main Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 22.3 miles you will encounter 5 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 (NY 104 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (NY 18 / Creek Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 21.4 miles: Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

616 ft 255 ft

Total Climb

27 ft

Total Descent

375 ft

Highest Point

616 ft

Elevation Range

360 ft

Detours Along the Way

Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.8 mi from route ~2 min detour

Niagara Falls

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-21:00

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour

Niagara Falls

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Tim Hortons

Cafe

Near the start, short detour

1.3 mi from route ~3 min detour

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, short detour

1.4 mi from route ~3 min detour

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Tim Hortons

Cafe

Near the start, short detour

1.5 mi from route ~4 min detour

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, short detour

1.5 mi from route ~4 min detour

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Rainforest Cafe

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Niagara Falls

Visit website

Chu's Dining Lounge

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Subway

Fast_food

Early in the drive, right off the route

9min in 0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Lewiston, NY

Cuisine: sandwich

Hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-21:00; Sa-Su 08:00-21:00

Visit website

Rainforest Cafe

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour

Niagara Falls, NY

Cuisine: american

Hours: Fr-Su 12:00-21:00

Boston Pizza

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Cuisine: pizza

Visit website

Griffon

Restaurant

Early in the drive, short detour

9min in 1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Lewiston

Cuisine: american

Visit website

Industrial Heritage overlook

Viewpoint

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour

Geologic Past overlook

Viewpoint

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Niagara City Cruises

Attraction

Near the start, right off the route

0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Niagara Falls

Visit website

The Niagara SkyWheel

Attraction

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour

Niagara Falls

Hours: Mo-Su 09:30-00:00

Visit website

Maid of the Mist

Attraction

Near the start, right off the route

0.8 mi from route ~2 min detour
Visit website

Whirlpool Jetboat Tours

Attraction

Early in the drive, short detour

9min in 1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Lewiston, NY

Visit website

Movieland Wax Museum of Stars

Museum

Near the start, right off the route

0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour
Visit website

Louis Tussaud's Waxworks

Museum

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour
Visit website

Ripley's Odditorium

Museum

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour
Visit website

Laura Secord

Memorial

Early in the drive, right off the route

9min in 0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour

Bruce Trail Southern Terminus Cairn

Memorial

Early in the drive, right off the route

9min in 0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour

Queenston Heights - War of 1812

Battlefield

Early in the drive, right off the route

9min in 0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour

Howard Johnson

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

1.2 mi from route ~3 min detour

Niagara Falls

Visit website

Niagara's Best Inn

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

1.3 mi from route ~3 min detour

Niagara Falls

Visit website

River Rapids Inn

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

4min in 1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Niagara Falls

The Falls Hotel

Hotel

Near the start, right off the route

0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Ramada

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Niagara Falls

Super 8

Motel

Near the start, short detour

4min in 1.2 mi from route ~3 min detour

Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.

About the Cities

Starting in Niagara Falls, NY

Full guide →

Niagara Falls is in the Niagara Frontier region of New York state.

Top landmarks

  • • Adams Power Plant Transformer House — National Historic Landmarked building constructed in 1895
  • • Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center — Train Station and Custom House in Niagara Falls, New York
  • • United Office Building — historic commercial building in Niagara Falls, New York, US

Arriving in Sunset Beach, 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 39m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.5 miles on Lake Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 (NY 104 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (NY 18 / Creek Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 21.4 miles: Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sunset Beach, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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