Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
37.5 mi
60 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
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.
Staten Island, NY
Wikimedia Commons
City Island, NY
Clément Proust
This 37.5-mile drive from Staten Island to City Island in New York is best tackled as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes. The route is primarily highway-focused, with about 65% of the journey on major expressways like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Gowanus Expressway. Expect a fuel cost of around $6 for this relatively short, direct journey. Given its brevity and highway nature, it's a straightforward drive within the Northeast region, perfect for a quick excursion without needing an overnight stay.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 9.4 mi | 15m |
| Gowanus Expressway | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Staten Island Expressway | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Whitestone Expressway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Northern Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Manor Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| Hutchinson River Parkway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Bronx-Whitestone Bridge | 1.3 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 18 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,452 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~674 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 34 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Staten Island, NY and City Island, NY.
Start on Croft Court
Turn left onto Corona Avenue
Continue on Cotter Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Clarke Avenue
Turn right onto Kensico Street
At end of road, turn right onto Richmond Road
Continue on Richmond Road
Continue on Rockland Avenue
Turn right onto Manor Road
Turn right onto Schmidts Lane
Turn left onto Slosson Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 278
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
Continue on I 278
Continue on I 278
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
Keep slight left at fork onto I 278
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto Northern Boulevard
Take the ramp
Merge onto Whitestone Expressway
Continue on I 678
Continue on I 678
Continue on HR
Take the exit
Continue on Hutchinson River Parkway East
Turn slight left
Turn straight onto Pe
Continue on Shore Road
Turn right onto City Island Road
Enter roundabout onto City Island Road
Continue on City Island Road
Continue on City Island Bridge
Continue on City Island Avenue
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 37.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 18.7 miles from Staten Island, 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 4.4 and 34 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 278 East: Staten Island Expressway, Verrazano Bridge, Brooklyn
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway toward I 278 East: Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, RFK Bridge, Hamilton Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NY 25A: Northern Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward NY 25A East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Pelham Parkway East, Co-Op City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$6.07 one way
$12.13 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.46 | $6.58 | $13.17 |
| premium | $4.85 | $7.16 | $14.31 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $7.08 | $14.16 |
Estimated Tolls: $6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$7
Total
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.94 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.25 | $2.40 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Afternoon in Staten Island on Sunday
Local time
1:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Patchy Fog then Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in City Island on Sunday
Local time
1:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
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.
This drive leans heavily towards a highway experience, with 65% of the route utilizing expressways. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on roads like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Staten Island Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.4 miles on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. While it's a highway-focused profile, expect the character to remain consistent, offering a direct and efficient way to travel between boroughs.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Gowanus Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.4 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 37.5 miles you will encounter 20 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 4.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.6 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
355 ft
Total Descent
409 ft
Highest Point
262 ft
~2.7 mi in
Elevation Range
267 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Staten Island, NY and City Island, NY, road signs point toward Brooklyn, Upper Level, Kennedy Airport, Pelham Parkway East, Co-Op City and To I 95.
Brooklyn
Upper Level
Kennedy Airport
Pelham Parkway East
Co-Op City
To I 95
Founded 1683
Staten Island is New York City's "Forgotten Borough" across New York Harbor from Manhattan. Staten Island may seem like it's in an entirely different world than the hustle and bustle expected in New York City. However, it still has some of the features you've come to expect from the city. This combination of city influences and its rural origins have created a unique borough that is a great place to visit.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 37.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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