Origin
Valley Stream, NY
Late night in Valley Stream on Sunday
Local time
2:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Valley Stream, NY to Jamaica, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
11m
Distance
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 12m
8 AM
0h 14m
10 AM
0h 13m
12 PM
0h 12m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 14m
8 PM
0h 11m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Valley Stream, NY
Mel Audelo
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Valley Stream, NY to Jamaica, NY is 7.2 miles and takes about 11 minutes via Belt Parkway/Van Wyck Expressway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, making it a convenient local hop. Expect a mixed highway and surface road experience as you navigate between these two points. It's a quick drive, perfect for when you need to get from one place to the other without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Belt Parkway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| West Sunrise Highway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Inwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Central Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Van Wyck Expressway East | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Way | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Belt Parkway
— 2.3 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Valley Stream, NY and Jamaica, NY.
1
Start on South Central Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
South Central Avenue
2
Turn right onto NY 27
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Sunrise Highway
Use the right lane.
3
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward Belt Parkway West, Verrazano Bridge
4
Merge onto BP
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto BP
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
9
Continue on I 678
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
504 ft
·
15 sec
Exit 4
Toward Liberty Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on Van Wyck Expressway East
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway East
12
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto Inwood Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Inwood Street
14
Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way
56 ft
·
2 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Way
15
Arrive at destination
Tuskegee Airmen Way
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 6.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NY 27 / West Sunrise Highway
Turn right onto NY 27 / West Sunrise Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
BP / Belt Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
4.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge
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.
Exit 19
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whites...
7
6.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward Liberty Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4
Toward Liberty Avenue
7
6.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.17 one way
$2.34 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $1.27 | $2.53 |
| premium | $4.87 | $1.38 | $2.76 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $1.53 | $3.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Jamaica, NY
Late night in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
2:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
9 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
11m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 47% highway share. You'll encounter 2.3 miles on the Belt Parkway as your longest stretch on a highway. The profile is mixed highway and surface, meaning you'll transition between faster-paced driving and potentially more stop-and-go conditions as you approach your destination.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Belt Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near NY 27 / West Sunrise Highway.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 7.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 11m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NY 27 / West Sunrise Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Valley Stream, NY to Jamaica, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Belt Parkway West along the way.
Belt Parkway West
2.1 mi in
|
~2m
About the Cities
Starting in Valley Stream, NY
Full guide →Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods. Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.
Arriving in Jamaica, NY
Full guide →Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.
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 11m. Total distance: 7.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Belt Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Jamaica, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 0.1 miles (NY 27 / West Sunrise Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Jamaica, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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