Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 3m
Distance
79.7 mi
128 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverside, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Yonkers, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, NY to Yonkers, NY is 79.7 miles and takes about 2h 3m via Long Island Expressway and Captain Daniel Roe Highway, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving north from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a relatively short drive that mostly utilizes major highways. Given the quick travel time and straightforward path, this route is ideal for a same-day trip without needing an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
39.9 miles from Riverside, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 51.5 mi | 1h 9m |
| East Moriches-Riverhead Road | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| Captain Daniel Roe Highway | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| Cross Island Parkway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Bronx River Parkway | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Broadway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~4,880 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~521 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 24 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Riverside, NY and Yonkers, NY.
Start on this road
Turn right
At end of road, turn left
Turn left onto CR 51
Take the ramp
Merge onto CR 111
Turn left
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto CI
Take the exit
Merge onto I 295
Continue on I 295
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
Take the exit
Continue on Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto BR
Take the exit
Turn left onto East Gun Hill Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto MP
Take the exit
Merge onto HH
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto US 9; NY 9A
Arrive at destination
Leaving Riverside, NY early in the morning, perhaps before 7 AM, can help you bypass some of the typical commuter traffic heading towards Yonkers. The 2-hour drive is manageable for a single day, so you won't need to plan for overnight stops. You can easily complete this trip on a single tank of gas, with an estimated fuel cost of $13. Keep an eye on the Long Island Expressway for its 51.5-mile stretch, as this is where you'll cover the most ground quickly. Since it's a shorter drive, you have the flexibility to depart later if needed, but an early start is always recommended for smoother travel.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
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 18 miles or 32m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.9 miles or 1h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Yonkers, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Riverside, 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 Riverside, NY
This is one driving day of about 79.7 miles and 2h 3m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
40 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 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 39.9 miles from Riverside, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 61.3 and 77.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward Cross Island Parkway, Whitestone Bridge, Kennedy Airport
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 Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 295 North: Throgs Neck Bridge, Bronx, New England
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 9, NY 9A North: Broadway
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 US 9 North, NY 9A North: Van Cortlandt Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$12.95 one way
$25.91 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $14.02 | $28.04 |
| premium | $4.87 | $15.27 | $30.54 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $16.95 | $33.91 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
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
$13
Tolls
$7
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 27.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 23.9 | 0 | $8.37 | $3.83 |
| Efficient EV | 19.9 | 0 | $6.97 | $3.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 31.9 | 0 | $11.16 | $5.10 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (68% 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
Late night in Riverside on Sunday
Local time
5:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Late night in Yonkers on Sunday
Local time
5:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
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 drive is predominantly on highways, with 79% of the route utilizing them. You'll experience a longest stretch of 51.5 miles on the Long Island Expressway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect a consistent flow of traffic and frequent exits on the highway portions. The shift to local roads will likely bring a change in pace and potentially more immediate surroundings.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and East Moriches-Riverhead Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 61.3 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 24 significant decision points across 79.7 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 61.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 61.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 64.9 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 Riverside, NY and Yonkers, NY, road signs point toward Cr 111 North: Manorville, Kennedy Airport, Cross Island Parkway North, Bronx, New England and Bronx River Parkway North - among others.
Cr 111 North: Manorville
Kennedy Airport
Cross Island Parkway North
Bronx
New England
Bronx River Parkway North
White Plains
Founded 1646
Yonkers is a city of 211,569 people (2020) in Westchester County. The third most populous city in New York state, Yonkers is a suburb of New York City and borders the Borough of the Bronx. Yonkers is known as the "City of Seven Hills," which are Park, Nodine, Ridge, Cross, Locust, Glen, and Church hills.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 3m. Total distance: 79.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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