Origin
Queens, NY
Afternoon in Queens on Tuesday
Local time
2:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Queens, NY to Long Island City, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
9.5 mi
15 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great 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 23m
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.
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Long Island City, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
Queens, NY to Long Island City, NY is 9.5 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Woodhaven Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a very short drive within the same state, connecting two points in New York. You'll encounter a mixed driving profile, so expect some highway time and some local road navigation. Given the minimal distance and duration, this trip is ideal for a single day, offering flexibility for when you depart. Plan for a straightforward journey with minimal travel time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Woodhaven Boulevard | 4 mi | 10m |
| Long Island Expressway | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Hunters Point Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Rockaway Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 49th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 104th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 21st Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Laurel Hill Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Woodhaven Boulevard
— 4 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Queens, NY and Long Island City, NY.
1
Start on 104th Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
104th Street
2
Turn sharp right onto Rockaway Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Rockaway Boulevard
3
Turn right onto Woodhaven Boulevard
4.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Woodhaven Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, Midtown Tunnel
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 495
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard
80 ft
·
2 sec
·
Laurel Hill Boulevard
8
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on 49th Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
49th Avenue
10
Turn right onto NY 25A
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
21st Street
11
Turn sharp left onto Jackson Avenue
55 ft
·
1 sec
·
Jackson Avenue
12
Turn right onto 47th Avenue
37 ft
·
1 sec
·
47th Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
47th Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 9.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Rockaway Boulevard
Turn sharp right onto Rockaway Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, Midtown Tunnel
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 495 West: Long Island Expressway, Midt...
8
7.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
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 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point...
6
8.1 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Hunters Point Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
9.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Jackson Avenue
Turn sharp left onto Jackson Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.54 one way
$3.09 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $1.67 | $3.34 |
| premium | $4.87 | $1.82 | $3.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.10 | $4.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.83 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
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
Long Island City, NY
Afternoon in Long Island City on Tuesday
Local time
2:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°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 warmer 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?
This route offers a mixed driving experience, with approximately 30% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate stretches like Woodhaven Boulevard, where the longest uninterrupted section spans 4 miles, before merging onto the Long Island Expressway. Expect the character of the drive to shift as you transition between these more open, faster-paced highway sections and the more urban, stop-and-go environment of local roads. The profile suggests a dynamic drive that requires attention to changing traffic patterns and road types.
30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4 mi on Woodhaven Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Rockaway Boulevard.
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 9.5 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.2 miles (Rockaway Boulevard): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Queens, NY
Full guide →Founded 1683
Queens is a crescent-shaped (with a tail) borough traversing the north-to-south width of Long Island and including two of the major New York City area airports, LaGuardia (LGA IATA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK IATA). It also carries the largest ethnic diversity in its area of any region in the world, with many small enclaves. Jackson Heights, for example, includes a huge Indian area, followed by a Colombian area, and then a Mexican area. Each offers a wide array of authentic shops, native-style cuisine, and festivals modified only slightly by the generally colder New York City experience.
Top landmarks
- • Queensboro Bridge — bridge in New York City
- • Unisphere — Steel structure in Queens, New York
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: 9.5 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). 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 4 miles on Woodhaven Boulevard. 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 Long Island 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 0.2 miles (Rockaway Boulevard): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Stonewall National Monument, African Burial Ground 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 Long Island 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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