Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
3h 34m
Distance
172.1 mi
277 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$28
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Scotia, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Queens, NY to Scotia, NY is 172.1 miles and takes about 3h 34m via NY 17, NJ 17, and NJ 4, with a fuel budget near $28 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York State, making it a convenient local journey. Expect a highway-focused drive that's largely efficient, perfect for a quick getaway or a functional transit day. With only one recommended stop and a short duration, this route is easily manageable for a single day, allowing you to reach your destination without feeling rushed.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
86 miles from Queens, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 52m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NY 17 | 117.5 mi | 2h 15m |
| NJ 17 | 14.7 mi | 18m |
| NJ 4 | 6.7 mi | 9m |
| New York State Thruway | 6.1 mi | 7m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| I 95 | 4.8 mi | 6m |
| I 890 | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Queens, NY and Scotia, NY.
Start on 104th Street
Turn left onto 107th Avenue
Turn left onto 105th Street
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
Turn left onto Van Wyck Expressway East
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 678
Merge onto I 678
Continue on I 678
Continue on I 678
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 95
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto NJ 4
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on I 287; NY 17
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
Take the exit
Continue on I 890; NY 7
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Washington Avenue
Turn left onto NY 5
Continue on NY 5
Continue on NY 5
Turn left onto South Ten Broeck Street
Arrive at destination
Given the relatively short drive of just over 3.5 hours, you have considerable flexibility for when to depart. Leaving mid-morning should allow you to avoid the worst of rush hour traffic out of Queens. With only one stop recommended and a manageable distance, you can easily complete this trip in a single day. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially before embarking on the longest stretch of 117.5 miles on NY 17, as services might be less frequent during that segment.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 38 miles or 56m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 86 miles or 1h 52m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Scotia, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Queens, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Queens, NY
This is one driving day of about 172.1 miles and 3h 34m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
86 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 86 miles from Queens, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before NY 17 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 117.5 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 11.7 and 27.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 278 West, I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, I 278 West: George Washington Bridge, Manhattan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$28.33 one way
$56.66 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $30.63 | $61.26 |
| premium | $4.92 | $33.36 | $66.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $38.00 | $76.00 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.85
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$28
Tolls
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$76–$101
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 60.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 51.6 | 0 | $18.07 | $8.26 |
| Efficient EV | 43 | 0 | $15.06 | $6.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 68.8 | 0 | $24.09 | $11.01 |
Gas CO2
60 kg
EV CO2
20 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Queens on Tuesday
Local time
6:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Scotia on Tuesday
Local time
6:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
63°F
Ramapo, NY
86 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 92% of the journey taking place on major roads. You'll experience a consistent pace for most of the trip, including a significant stretch of 117.5 miles on NY 17 without needing to divert. This means you can settle in for long, uninterrupted driving segments. The road character remains largely consistent, emphasizing efficiency and direct travel rather than varied scenery or winding local roads.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NY 17 and NJ 17. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.7 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 26 significant decision points across 172.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Queens, NY and Scotia, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, New Haven Connecticut, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack, Gsp South and Gsp North - among others.
Manhattan
New Haven Connecticut
Upper Level
Njtp South: Hackensack
Gsp South
Gsp North
Newark
Mahwah
New York State Thruway North: Albany
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
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 34m. Total distance: 172.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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