Origin
North Hills, NY
Morning in North Hills on Sunday
Local time
11:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Hills, NY to New York City, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
20.5 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Hills, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
New York City, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 20.5-mile journey from North Hills to New York City is a straightforward day trip that typically takes about 35 minutes. You will primarily navigate the Long Island Expressway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway before crossing the Williamsburg Bridge to reach your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 13 mi | 18m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 2 mi | 3m |
| Williamsburg Bridge | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Shelter Rock Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Delancey Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Broadway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Kenmare Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Lafayette Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 13 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Hills, NY and New York City, NY.
1
Start on Shelter Rock Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Shelter Rock Road
2
Turn right onto North Service Road
404 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Service Road
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 495 West
4
Merge onto I 495
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 17W
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, 48th Street
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 278
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto Williamsburg Bridge
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Williamsburg Bridge
Exit 32A
Toward Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto Williamsburg Bridge
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Williamsburg Bridge
Use the slight left lane.
11
Continue on Delancey Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Delancey Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on Kenmare Street
0.2 mi
·
57 sec
·
Kenmare Street
13
At end of road, turn left onto Lafayette Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Lafayette Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Howard Street
510 ft
·
24 sec
·
Howard Street
15
Turn left onto Broadway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
Use the straight lane.
16
Arrive at destination
Broadway
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 13.7 and 19.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
13.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 17W
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
6
14.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, 48th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, 48th Street
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn
9
17.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Williamsburg Bridge
Keep slight left at fork onto Williamsburg Bridge toward Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 32A
Toward Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan
7
19.8 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Lafayette Street
At end of road, turn left onto Lafayette Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.37 one way
$6.75 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.65 | $7.30 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.53 | $9.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 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 | 6.1 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
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.
Destination
New York City, NY
Morning in New York City on Sunday
Local time
11:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
E 6 to 14 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
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
10 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
35m 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 highway-focused experience, as 73% of your commute is spent on major transit routes. The longest stretch involves 13 miles on the Long Island Expressway, providing a fast-paced drive that transitions from suburban corridors into the dense urban environment.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13 mi on Long Island Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 13.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 20.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
219 ft
14 ft
Total Climb
109 ft
Total Descent
291 ft
Highest Point
219 ft
~2.6 mi in
Elevation Range
206 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from North Hills, NY to New York City, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Manhattan along the way.
Manhattan
17.2 mi in
|
~25m
|
via Williamsburg Bridge
About the Cities
Starting in North Hills, NY
Full guide →Arriving 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
This 20.5-mile drive is perfect for a quick same-day round trip, easily fitting into a weekend without feeling rushed.
Family Friendly
While very short at 20.5 miles, the 10/10 complexity might make navigating with kids a bit stressful.
Solo Traveler
At only 35 minutes, this route is a bit too short to be truly engaging for a solo drive, but it's a comfortable distance.
EV Driver
With a drive under 21 miles, this route is absolutely doable on a single charge for an EV, no charging stops needed.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13 miles on Long Island Expressway. 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 New York City, 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 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 New York City, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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