Origin
Washington Heights, NY
Morning in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
8:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Washington Heights, NY to East Flatbush, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
16.7 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Washington Heights, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
East Flatbush, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Navigating from Washington Heights to East Flatbush covers approximately 18.6 miles across the heart of New York City. You should anticipate a travel time of about 54 minutes, though local traffic patterns can significantly influence your actual arrival. Because this trip is entirely within the Northeast region, you won't need to worry about major regional transitions or overnight stays; it is perfectly suited for a single-day commute. With a fuel cost estimate of just $3, it is an economical route for your daily travels. Since this is a turn-heavy local drive, you should prepare for constant maneuvering rather than high-speed cruising. It is a straightforward urban connection that serves as a practical link between these two neighborhoods.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harlem River Drive | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Robert F. Kennedy Bridge | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| 69th Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Fresh Pond Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Rockaway Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Cooper Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Harlem River Drive
— 2.6 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Washington Heights, NY and East Flatbush, NY.
1
Start on US 9
302 ft
·
20 sec
·
Broadway
2
Turn left onto West 180th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
West 180th Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue
385 ft
·
16 sec
·
Amsterdam Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
5
Merge onto HRD
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Harlem River Drive
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 17
Toward I 278 Toll: Robert F Kennedy Bridge, Bruckner Expressway, Grand Central Parkway
7
Continue on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46
Toward I 278 West: Queens, Airports, Citi Field
9
Merge onto I 278
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 278; GCP
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 40
Toward Broadway, Roosevelt Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
341 ft
·
11 sec
Toward Broadway East, 69th Street, Roosevelt Avenue, 37th Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
14
Turn straight onto 69th Street
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
69th Street
15
Turn right onto Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Grand Avenue
16
Keep slight left at fork onto Flushing Avenue
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Flushing Avenue
17
Turn left onto Fresh Pond Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Fresh Pond Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
18
At end of road, turn left onto Myrtle Avenue
88 ft
·
4 sec
·
Myrtle Avenue
19
Turn right onto 61st Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
61st Street
20
Turn right onto Cooper Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Cooper Avenue
21
Continue on Cooper Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Cooper Street
22
Continue on Rockaway Avenue
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Rockaway Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
23
Turn right onto East New York Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East New York Avenue
Use the straight / left / slight right lanes.
24
Turn left onto Howard Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Howard Avenue
25
Continue on Tapscott Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Tapscott Street
26
Continue on Kings Highway
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Kings Highway
27
Turn slight right
136 ft
·
5 sec
28
Turn straight onto Kings Highway
376 ft
·
12 sec
·
Kings Highway
29
Turn right onto NY 27
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Linden Boulevard
30
Arrive at destination
NY 27
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 8.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Amsterdam Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Amsterdam Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
7
4.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 278 West: Queens, Airports, Citi Field
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 46
Toward I 278 West: Queens, Airports, Citi Field
8
7.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West
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
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 278 West: Brooklyn, Staten Island
8
8.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Broadway, Roosevelt Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 40
Toward Broadway, Roosevelt Avenue
9
8.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Broadway East, 69th Street, Roosevelt Avenue, 37th Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward Broadway East, 69th Street, Roosevelt Av...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.75 one way
$5.50 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.97 | $5.94 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.24 | $6.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.69 | $7.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 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 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.46 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
East Flatbush, NY
Morning in East Flatbush on Sunday
Local time
8:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
4 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
36m 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?
Expect a very different experience than a typical highway cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will navigate almost exclusively via local corridors like Broadway, West 180th Street, and Amsterdam Avenue. The personality of this drive is defined by its turn-heavy nature, requiring your full attention as you weave through dense city streets. Because there is no long, uninterrupted stretch of road, your momentum will be dictated by local traffic signals and urban density. It is a demanding, stop-and-go experience that tests your patience and precision behind the wheel.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.6 mi on Harlem River Drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Amsterdam Avenue.
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 19 decision points packed into just 16.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Amsterdam Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Between Washington Heights, NY and East Flatbush, NY, road signs point toward Airports, Citi Field, Staten Island, Broadway and Broadway East.
Airports
4.3 mi in
|
~8m
Citi Field
4.3 mi in
|
~8m
Staten Island
7.2 mi in
|
~14m
|
via I 278
Broadway
8.5 mi in
|
~16m
Broadway East
8.7 mi in
|
~16m
About the Cities
Arriving in East Flatbush, NY
Full guide →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 36m. Total distance: 16.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.6 miles on Harlem River Drive. 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 East Flatbush, 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 0.4 miles (Amsterdam Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.2 miles (I 278 / Brooklyn-Queens Expressway West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 East Flatbush, 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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Return Trip
East Flatbush, NY to Washington Heights, NYPlan the drive back the other way.
17 mi
36m
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