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Trip from Thornwood, NY to Manhattan, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

45m

Distance

29.5 mi

48 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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census-designated place in Westchester County, New York, United States

Thornwood, NY

Wikimedia Commons

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Thornwood to Manhattan covers a compact 29.1 miles, typically taking about 46 minutes depending on traffic. Since this journey stays within the Northeast region of New York, it is a straightforward trip that fits perfectly into a single day of travel. You can expect to spend roughly $5 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly option for those heading into the city. Because the distance is so short, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or multiple stops along the way. Whether you are commuting or heading in for an afternoon, the brevity of this route offers great flexibility for your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Saw Mill River Parkway 17.3 mi 23m
Henry Hudson Parkway 10.5 mi 16m
West 86th Street 0.4 mi 1m
Broadway 0.4 mi <1m
West 79th Street 0.2 mi <1m
86th Street Transverse 0.2 mi <1m
Kensico Road 0.2 mi <1m
Marble Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Saw Mill River Parkway — 17.3 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Thornwood, NY and Manhattan, NY.

1

Start on Kensico Road

139 ft · 7 sec · Kensico Road
2

Continue on Kensico Road

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Kensico Road
3

Continue on Marble Avenue

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Marble Avenue
4

Turn left

246 ft · 8 sec
5

At end of road, turn left onto Saw Mill River Parkway

17 mi · 23 min · Saw Mill River Parkway
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on HH

0.4 mi · 32 sec · Henry Hudson Parkway
7

Keep slight right at fork onto HH

10 mi · 15 min · Henry Hudson Parkway
Toward Henry Hudson Parkway South Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward Boat Basin, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Children's Museum Of Manhattan, JCC in Manhattan, Lincoln Center, New York Historical Society, New York Institute of Technology Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on West 79th Street

0.2 mi · 51 sec · West 79th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Turn left onto Broadway

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Broadway
11

Turn right onto West 86th Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · West 86th Street
12

Continue on 86th Street Transverse

0.2 mi · 35 sec · 86th Street Transverse
Toward East Side Use the straight / left lanes.
13

Arrive at destination

86th Street Transverse

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 28.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Saw Mill River Parkway

At end of road, turn left onto Saw Mill River Parkway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
18 mi into trip | ~25m in | HH / Henry Hudson Parkway

Keep slight right at fork onto HH / Henry Hudson Parkway toward Henry Hudson Parkway South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Henry Hudson Parkway South
7
28.1 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward Boat Basin, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Children's Museum Of Manhattan, JCC in Manhattan, Lincoln Center, New York Historical Society, New York Institute of Technology

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Boat Basin, Metropolitan Museum of Art,...
3
28.3 mi into trip | ~41m in | West 79th Street

Continue onto West 79th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.86 one way

$9.71 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $5.25 $10.50
premium $4.92 $5.72 $11.44
diesel $5.61 $6.51 $13.03

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.9 0 $3.10 $1.42
Efficient EV 7.4 0 $2.58 $1.18
EV Truck/SUV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Thornwood, NY

Afternoon in Thornwood on Sunday

Local time

12:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

44°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 8 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 13 at 12:55AM EDT until April 13 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 12:22AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Destination

Manhattan, NY

Afternoon in Manhattan on Sunday

Local time

12:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 7 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 13 at 12:55AM EDT until April 13 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 12:22AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

6 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

45m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged from start to finish. With a 0% highway share, this route relies entirely on local roads, requiring your full attention as you navigate through the changing landscape. You will not encounter any long, uninterrupted stretches, as the nature of the drive is defined by frequent turns rather than sustained speeds. The journey maintains a consistent, technical feel that contrasts sharply with the typical interstate grind. Prepare for a hands-on driving experience that demands constant awareness of your surroundings as you transition from the suburban setting of Thornwood into the dense urban environment of Manhattan.

94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 mi on Saw Mill River Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Saw Mill River Parkway and Henry Hudson Parkway. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 29.5 miles you will encounter 7 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 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Saw Mill River Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles (HH / Henry Hudson Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

268 ft 9 ft

Total Climb

360 ft

Total Descent

520 ft

Highest Point

268 ft

~14.8 mi in

Elevation Range

259 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Thornwood, NY to Manhattan, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Henry Hudson Parkway South along the way.

Henry Hudson Parkway South

18 mi in | ~25m | via HH

About the Cities

Starting in Thornwood, NY

Full guide →

Arriving in Manhattan, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1624

Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.

Top landmarks

  • • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on Saw Mill River Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Saw Mill River Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles (HH / Henry Hudson Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Manhattan, NY before heading back.

How this page is built

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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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