Origin
North Tonawanda, NY
Late night in North Tonawanda on Sunday
Local time
12:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Tonawanda, NY to Amherst, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
12m
Distance
7.3 mi
12 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 12m
8 AM
0h 14m
10 AM
0h 13m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 14m
8 PM
0h 11m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Tonawanda, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Amherst, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 7.3-mile drive from North Tonawanda to Amherst, NY, is a quick hop that can easily be completed in about 12 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost is a very budget-friendly $1, making it an economical choice. You'll be navigating primarily on the Youngmann Expressway and Millersport Highway, with a significant portion of the drive on expressways. This route stays within the Northeast region, connecting two points within New York State. It’s a straightforward journey ideal for getting from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Youngmann Expressway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Twin Cities Memorial Highway | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Millersport Highway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Erie Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Youngmann Expressway
— 3.4 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Tonawanda, NY and Amherst, NY.
1
Start on NY 425
15 ft
·
2 sec
·
Erie Avenue
2
Turn left onto NY 425
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Twin Cities Memorial Highway
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 290 East
4
Merge onto I 290
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Youngmann Expressway
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 5A
Toward NY 263 South: Millersport Highway South
Use the slight right lane.
6
Turn straight onto NY 263
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Millersport Highway
Use the left lane.
7
Arrive at destination
NY 263
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 6.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 290 East
Navigation decision point
Toward I 290 East
3
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 290 / Youngmann Expressway
Merge onto I 290 / Youngmann Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining
7
6.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward NY 263 South: Millersport Highway South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5A
Toward NY 263 South: Millersport Highway South
3
6.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
NY 263 / Millersport Highway
Turn straight onto NY 263 / Millersport Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.20 one way
$2.40 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.30 | $2.60 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.41 | $2.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.61 | $3.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.77 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.64 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.47 |
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
Amherst, NY
Late night in Amherst on Sunday
Local time
12:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
9 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
12m 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?
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 47% of it being on highways. The majority of your time will be spent on the Youngmann Expressway and the Twin Cities Memorial Highway. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 3.4 miles on the Youngmann Expressway, offering a chance to maintain a steady speed. While much of the drive is highway-focused, you'll experience a blend of faster-paced expressway travel and segments on Millersport Highway, which may feel more like a traditional arterial road. The road character shifts subtly as you transition between these different types of thoroughfares.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.4 mi on Youngmann Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 12m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 290 / Youngmann Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 6.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in North Tonawanda, NY
Full guide →Founded 1809
North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County, New York.
Top landmarks
- • Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum — history museum in North Tonawanda, New York state, USA
- • Riviera Theatre — theater and movie theater in North Tonawanda, New York, United States
- • Dick Block — historic commercial building in New York, United States
Arriving in Amherst, NY
Full guide →Amherst is a town in the Northtowns of Erie County, New York.
Top landmarks
- • Entranceway at Main Street at Roycroft Boulevard — residential landscape feature in Amherst, New York state, USA
- • Entranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive — residential landscape feature in Amherst, New York state, USA
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 12m. Total distance: 7.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.4 miles on Youngmann Expressway. 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: at 2.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 290 / Youngmann Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 6.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Amherst, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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