Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
47.1 mi
76 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
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.
Smithtown, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Smithtown, NY to Washington Heights, NY covers 47.1 miles and takes about 1h 8m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Long Island Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Jericho Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.8 miles on Long Island Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.65 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 24.8 mi | 33m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Jericho Turnpike | 4 mi | 6m |
| Cross Island Parkway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Sunken Meadow State Parkway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Throgs Neck Bridge | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Sagtikos State Parkway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Throgs Neck Expressway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
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 Smithtown, NY and Washington Heights, NY.
Start on NY 25; NY 25A
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25; NY 25A
Continue on NY 25
Take the ramp
Merge onto SM
Continue on SA
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight onto LIE North Service Road
Turn straight onto North Service Road
Take the ramp
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
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight onto Washington Bridge
Continue on West 181st Street
Turn right onto Wadsworth Avenue
Turn left onto West 182nd Street
Turn left onto US 9
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 23.5 miles from Smithtown, 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 7.6 and 46.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 West: New York
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Keep slight left at fork toward Amsterdam Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$7.65 one way
$15.31 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $8.29 | $16.57 |
| premium | $4.87 | $9.02 | $18.05 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $10.02 | $20.04 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.83
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$7
Total
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.95 | $2.26 |
| Efficient EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.12 | $1.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.59 | $3.01 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (63% 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
Evening in Smithtown on Sunday
Local time
7:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Sunny
Destination
Evening in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
7:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Mostly Sunny
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.
47.1 mi in 1h 8m, mostly highway — 24.8 mi of that is on Long Island Expressway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Cross Bronx Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.6 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.1 miles you will encounter 18 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 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 33.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Smithtown, NY and Washington Heights, NY, road signs point toward Sm South: Bay Shore, Kennedy Airport, Cross Island Parkway North, Bronx and New England.
Sm South: Bay Shore
Kennedy Airport
Cross Island Parkway North
Bronx
New England
Smithtown is a town of 117,000 people (2016) in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York. Smithtown is comprised of the villages and hamlets of Commack (in part, with the Town of Huntington), Fort Salonga (in part, with the Town of Huntington), Hauppauge (in part, with the Town of Islip), Head of the Harbor, Kings Park, Lake Ronkonkoma (in part with the Town of Brookhaven and Town of Islip), Nesconset, Nissequogue, Smithtown, St. James, & Village of the Branch.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 8m. Total distance: 47.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). 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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