Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
17.7 mi
28 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
The Bronx, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Brooklyn Heights, NY
Sarah O'Shea
The Bronx, NY to Brooklyn Heights, NY is 17.7 miles and takes about 34 minutes via the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, highway-focused drive primarily within New York City, connecting two key boroughs. Given its limited distance and duration, this trip is ideal for a same-day excursion. You'll spend most of your time on major expressways, so expect typical urban traffic conditions. This route is straightforward for anyone familiar with navigating the city's arterial roads.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 5.7 mi | 9m |
| Bruckner Expressway | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Bronx River Parkway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Tillary Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Bronx Park East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between The Bronx, NY and Brooklyn Heights, NY.
Start on Cruger Avenue
Turn left onto Bronxdale Avenue
Continue on Bronx Park East
Turn left onto Boston Road
Turn left onto Bronx River Parkway Road
Take the ramp onto Bronx River Parkway Entrance
Merge onto BR
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Morrison Avenue
Turn right onto Bruckner Boulevard
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 278
Continue on I 278
Continue on I 278; GCP
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
Take the exit
Continue on Tillary Street
Turn right onto Cadman Plaza West
Turn left onto Clark Street
Turn left onto Henry Street
Turn left onto Pierrepont Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 16.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Bronx River Parkway Road
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 278 West: Bruckner Expressway, Robert F Kennedy Bridge, Manhattan
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway toward I 278 West: Staten Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Tillary Street, Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Civic Center, Long Island University, NYC College of Technology, NYU Brooklyn, Downtown Brooklyn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$2.91 one way
$5.83 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.15 | $6.30 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.43 | $6.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.91 | $7.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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 The Bronx on Sunday
Local time
7:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Brooklyn Heights on Sunday
Local time
7:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
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 is predominantly highway-focused, with 76% of the journey utilizing major expressways. You'll experience the Bruckner Expressway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West, including a longest stretch of 5.7 miles on the latter. The character is that of a busy urban interstate, designed for efficient travel between points within the metropolitan area. Expect consistent traffic flow, punctuated by the usual city-driving pace, as you make your way across the boroughs.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West and Bruckner Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Bronx River Parkway Road.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 17.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Bronx River Parkway Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.7 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): 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 The Bronx, NY and Brooklyn Heights, NY, road signs point toward Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn Civic Center, Long Island University, Nyc College Of Technology and Nyu Brooklyn - among others.
Manhattan
Staten Island
Brooklyn Civic Center
Long Island University
Nyc College Of Technology
Nyu Brooklyn
Brooklyn
“The Boogie Down” · Founded 1898
The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York. Known for Yankee Stadium, the home field of the New York Yankees baseball team, it has been a borough of New York City since 1898. The vast Bronx Zoo houses hundreds of species of animals. Nearby, the sprawling New York Botanical Garden features a landmark greenhouse with rainforest and cactus displays. By the Hudson River, Wave Hill is a landscaped public garden with wooded paths and a cultural center.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 17.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). 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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