Blue Ribbon Restaurant & Bakery
Around the midpoint, short detour
Schenectady, New York
Hours: 7 am–9:30 pm
+15183932600
Visit websiteCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 34m
Distance
230.3 mi
371 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$38
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scarsdale, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Utica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
This 230.3-mile drive from Scarsdale, NY, to Utica, NY, is best tackled as a single-day trip, taking approximately 4 hours and 34 minutes. You'll primarily navigate the New York State Thruway, with initial segments on the Cross Westchester Expressway and Post Road. With a projected fuel cost of around $38, this route offers a straightforward journey through the Northeast region. While it's a manageable distance for one day, planning for one stop is recommended to break up the drive. The overall feel is practical, moving you efficiently from one New York locale to another.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
115.2 miles from Scarsdale, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 19m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New York State Thruway | 220.8 mi | 4h 17m |
| Cross Westchester Expressway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Post Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Genesee Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Tarrytown Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Post Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Hamilton Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Scarsdale, NY and Utica, NY.
Start on NY 22
Continue on NY 22
Turn left onto Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Turn left onto NY 119
Continue on NY 119
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 287
Merge onto I 87; I 287
Keep slight left at fork onto I 87
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Turn slight right onto North Genesee Street
Continue on Genesee Street
Turn right onto Washington Lane
Arrive at destination
For this 4.5-hour drive, leaving in the morning will allow you to reach Utica with plenty of daylight remaining. Since it's a single-day trip, you have flexibility in pacing your one recommended stop. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you approach the 220.8-mile stretch on the Thruway, as services can be spaced out. A practical tip is to ensure your E-ZPass or toll payment method is readily accessible, as you'll be using the New York State Thruway extensively.
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 51 miles or 1h 5m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 115.2 miles or 2h 19m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Utica, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Scarsdale, 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 Scarsdale, NY
This is one driving day of about 230.3 miles and 4h 34m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
115 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 51 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 115.2 miles from Scarsdale, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before New York State Thruway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 220.8 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.
Top Restaurant
Schenectady, New York
Around the midpoint, short detour
Hours: 7 am–9:30 pm
+15183932600
Top Coffee Stop
Spring Valley, New York
Near the start, short detour
Hours: 8 am–12 pm
+18454405055
Around the midpoint, short detour
Schenectady, New York
Hours: 7 am–9:30 pm
+15183932600
Visit websiteNear the start, ~9 min detour
Monsey, New York
Hours: Closed
+18452019000
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, ~11 min detour
Schenectady, New York
Hours: 11 am–10 pm
+15182806277
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, ~11 min detour
Schenectady, New York
Hours: 7 am–9 pm
+15183937720
Visit websiteNear the start, ~12 min detour
Airmont, New York
Hours: 8 am–12:30 pm
+18453563100
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, ~12 min detour
Schenectady, New York
Hours: 4–9 pm
+15183555323
Visit websiteNear the start, short detour
Spring Valley, New York
Hours: 8 am–12 pm
+18454405055
Visit websiteNear the start, short detour
Yonkers, New York
Hours: 6 am–10 pm
+19149991010
Visit websiteLater in the drive, short detour
Pattersonville, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
+18885577099
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Utica, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Herkimer, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
+18336322778
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, short detour
Schenectady, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
+15183551287
Near the end, right off the route
Utica, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
+18887174544
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Utica, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
+18887584389
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, short detour
Altamont, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
+18887584389
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Yorkville, New York
Hours: Open 24 hours
Near the end, right off the route
Utica, New York
Hours: 11 am–4 pm
+13157244000
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Utica, New York
Hours: 10 am–4:30 pm
+13157380472
Visit websiteNear the end, short detour
Utica, New York
Hours: 10 am–4:30 pm
+13158087529
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, short detour
Altamont, New York
Hours: 7 am–8:30 pm
+15184563150
Visit websiteNear the end, ~9 min detour
New Hartford, New York
Hours: 11 am–8 pm
+13158648044
Visit websiteEarly in the drive, ~11 min detour
Beacon, New York
+18452372636
Visit websiteNear the start, ~11 min detour
Valhalla, New York
Hours: 8 am–10 pm
+19142314033
Visit websiteAround the midpoint, ~11 min detour
Coxsackie, New York
Hours: 6 am–6 pm
+15187320187
Visit websitePlace data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 227.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 287 West: Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 287 / Cross Westchester Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 87 / New York State Thruway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 790, NY 8, NY 12: Utica
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$37.91 one way
$75.82 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $40.99 | $81.98 |
| premium | $4.92 | $44.64 | $89.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $50.85 | $101.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $11.04
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
$38
Tolls
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$74–$99
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 80.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 69.1 | 0 | $24.18 | $11.05 |
| Efficient EV | 57.6 | 0 | $20.15 | $9.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 92.1 | 1 | $32.24 | $14.74 |
Gas CO2
81 kg
EV CO2
27 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Scarsdale on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Utica on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
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
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
For centuries, the Oneida Carrying Place, a six-mile portage connecting the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, served as a vital link for those traveling by water from the ocean to the Great Lakes. When Eur...
National Memorial
Merchant’s clerk, Revolutionary War soldier, first Secretary Treasury of the United States: Alexander Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Man...
National Memorial
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict...
National Historical Park
In 1777, a large British invasion force met an equally large American army here at Saratoga. After two intense battles, an eight-mile retreat, and a three-day siege, British General John Burgoyne surr...
National Monument
Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for civil r...
National Monument
The African Burial Ground stands as the oldest and largest known excavated burial site in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It offers a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Af...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Expect a route with a "Turn-heavy local drive" profile, though the highway share is high at 100%. The majority of your travel will be on the New York State Thruway, offering a longest uninterrupted stretch of 220.8 miles. While the Thruway itself is a consistent highway experience, the initial and final portions might involve more local road navigation, contributing to the "turn-heavy" description. This suggests a drive that transitions from more urban or suburban access roads to the open highway and back.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 230.3 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 1.8 miles (Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (I 287 / Cross Westchester Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Founded 1701
Scarsdale is a village in Westchester County, New York.
Top landmarks
Founded 1734
Utica is the heart of the Mohawk Valley and the seat of Oneida County in Central New York State. Utica offers the charm of small-city living balanced with the cultural and ethnic diversity of an international urban center. At the foot of the Adirondack Mountains, Utica is a truly scenic city that offers the pleasures of both a rural and urban setting.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 34m. Total distance: 230.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
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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