Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 25, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
New City, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Washington Heights, NY to New City, NY is 24.9 miles and takes about 36 minutes via Palisades Interstate Parkway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays entirely within New York, making it a straightforward option for a local excursion. It's a primarily highway route, so expect efficient travel. With only 1 recommended day, this is ideal for a same-day round trip or a simple relocation.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Palisades Interstate Parkway | 20.6 mi | 28m |
| South Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| State Highway 304 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Germonds Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| I 95 EXPR | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| George Washington Bridge (upper level) | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| US 9 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Congers Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 7 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,026 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,234 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
3.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 21 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Washington Heights, NY and New City, NY.
Start on US 9
Turn right onto US 9
Take the ramp onto US 9
Merge onto I 95; US 1; US 9
Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight right at fork onto Palisades Interstate Parkway
Take the exit
Turn right onto CR 27
Turn left onto NY 304
Turn straight onto NY 304
Turn left onto CR 80
At end of road, turn right onto CR 29
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto US 9 / West 179th Street
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp onto US 9 toward I 95 South: George Washington Bridge, New Jersey
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto Palisades Interstate Parkway toward Palisades Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward North Middletown Road, New City, Nanuet
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
At end of road, turn right onto CR 29 / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$4.05 one way
$8.09 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $4.38 | $8.76 |
| premium | $4.87 | $4.77 | $9.54 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $5.30 | $10.59 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$16
Total
$20
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Evening in Washington Heights on Saturday
Local time
7:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Rain Showers
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Evening in New City on Saturday
Local time
7:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°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 route is almost entirely highway, with 90% of the drive on limited-access roads. You'll experience a consistent stretch of 20.6 miles on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which is a significant portion of the total distance. After this primary highway segment, you'll transition to surface streets like South Main Street and State Highway 304 for the final miles into New City.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Palisades Interstate Parkway and South Main Street. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 9 / West 179th Street.
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 24.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (US 9 / West 179th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 9): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.4 miles (Palisades Interstate Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Washington Heights, NY to New City, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Nanuet along the way.
Nanuet
New City is the county seat and largest city in Rockland County, New York.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 24.9 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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