Origin
North Tonawanda, NY
Night in North Tonawanda on Saturday
Local time
10:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Tonawanda, NY to Buffalo, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
14.5 mi
23 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Tonawanda, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Buffalo, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from North Tonawanda to Buffalo, you are looking at a quick 14.5-mile journey that typically takes about 22 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or heavy travel fatigue. With a fuel budget estimated at just $2, this is an incredibly economical route to navigate within the Northeast region. You will primarily utilize the Niagara Thruway, Youngmann Expressway, and the Twin Cities Memorial Highway to complete the transit. It is a straightforward, practical connection between these two New York locales that avoids the complexities of a multi-day haul.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara Thruway | 7 mi | 9m |
| Youngmann Expressway | 3 mi | 4m |
| Twin Cities Memorial Highway | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Niagara Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| I 190 South / Buffalo | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Niagara Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Erie Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Niagara Thruway
— 7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Tonawanda, NY and Buffalo, NY.
1
Start on NY 425
15 ft
·
2 sec
·
Erie Avenue
2
Turn left onto NY 425
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Twin Cities Memorial Highway
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 290 W
4
Merge onto I 290
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Youngmann Expressway
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 190 South / Buffalo
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 190 South / Buffalo
Toward I 190 South: Buffalo
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto I 190; NY 324
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Niagara Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8
Toward NY 266: Niagara Street
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto Niagara Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Niagara Street
Use the right lane.
9
Enter roundabout onto NY 384
108 ft
·
3 sec
·
Niagara Square
10
Arrive at destination
NY 384
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 6 and 14.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 190 South / Buffalo
Keep slight left at fork onto I 190 South / Buffalo toward I 190 South: Buffalo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 190 South: Buffalo
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 190; NY 324 / Niagara Thruway
Merge onto I 190; NY 324 / Niagara Thruway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
13.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward NY 266: Niagara Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8
Toward NY 266: Niagara Street
4
13.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Niagara Street
Turn right onto Niagara Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
14.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
NY 384 / Niagara Square
Enter roundabout onto NY 384 / Niagara Square
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.39 one way
$4.77 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.58 | $5.16 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.81 | $5.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.35
Niagara Thruway
(7 mi)
$0.35
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.52 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Buffalo, NY
Night in Buffalo on Saturday
Local time
10:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
7 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
22m 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 turn-heavy local drive that requires your full attention as you transition between several major road systems. While highways account for 24% of your total mileage, the route feels much more like a series of interconnected local segments than a long-distance interstate cruise. Your longest stretch of uninterrupted driving occurs on the Niagara Thruway, covering 7 miles before you need to adjust your course. Because of the frequent turns, you will find the driving experience dynamic rather than monotonous. You should be prepared for a blend of expressway speeds and the stop-and-go nature typical of navigating regional city corridors.
Only 24% 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: 7 mi on Niagara Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 6 miles in near I 190 South / Buffalo.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 14.5 miles you will encounter 7 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: at 6 miles (I 190 South / Buffalo): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (I 190; NY 324 / Niagara Thruway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 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 Buffalo, NY
Full guide →The largest city in New York State's Niagara Frontier, Buffalo is a city full of surprises. Though Buffalo is sometimes the butt of jokes about chicken wings, its long-suffering sports teams, and the mountains of snow under which it is supposedly buried each winter, those in the know tell a different story: one of vibrant nightlife, world-class museums and cultural attractions, tight-knit neighborhoods with strong community spirit – and the sunniest summers in Northeastern United States.
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 22m. Total distance: 14.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7 miles on Niagara Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.35 in tolls one way, starting with Niagara Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Buffalo, 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 6 miles (I 190 South / Buffalo): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (I 190; NY 324 / Niagara Thruway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 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 Buffalo, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Buffalo, NY
More trips to Buffalo, NY
Explore more options from North Tonawanda, NY or browse trips ending in Buffalo, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.