Origin
Washington Heights, NY
Late night in Washington Heights on Sunday
Local time
4:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Washington Heights, NY to Stapleton, 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
46m
Distance
23.1 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Washington Heights, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Stapleton, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
Washington Heights, NY to Stapleton, NY is 23.1 miles and takes about 46 minutes via Gowanus Expressway/Henry Hudson Parkway/West Street, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a mixed drive with a significant portion on expressways, making it a practical choice for getting from one part of the city to another without a major time commitment. If you're looking for a quick transit between these areas, this route offers a direct path.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Gowanus Expressway | 5.3 mi | 7m |
| Henry Hudson Parkway | 4.7 mi | 7m |
| West Street | 2.3 mi | 6m |
| 12th Avenue | 1.8 mi | 5m |
| Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Tompkins Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Side Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Staten Island Expressway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Gowanus Expressway
— 5.3 mi, about 7m
Traffic on I-278
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,452 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~674 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 34 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Washington Heights, NY and Stapleton, NY.
1
Start on US 9
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
Broadway
2
Turn right onto West 177th Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
West 177th Street
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverside Drive
4
Turn slight right
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, Downtown, Riverside Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto HH; NY 9A
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Henry Hudson Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on NY 9A
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Side Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on NY 9A
1.8 mi
·
5 min
·
12th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on NY 9A
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
11th Avenue
9
Continue on NY 9A
2.3 mi
·
6 min
·
West Street
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
2.6 mi
·
5 min
Exit 2
Toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on I 278
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Toward I 278: Staten Island
13
Continue on I 278
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
·
Gowanus Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 278
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
16
Continue on I 278
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Staten Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 14
Toward Hylan Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
18
Turn straight onto Narrows Road North
350 ft
·
8 sec
·
Narrows Road North
19
Continue on Narrows Road North
173 ft
·
8 sec
·
Narrows Road North
20
Turn right onto Hylan Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Hylan Boulevard
21
Turn left onto Tompkins Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Tompkins Avenue
Use the left lane.
22
Turn right onto Canal Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Canal Street
23
Continue on Canal Street
119 ft
·
4 sec
·
Canal Street
24
Arrive at destination
Canal Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 21 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverside Drive
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverside D...
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn slight right toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, Downtown, Riverside Drive
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NY 9A: Henry Hudson Parkway, Downtown, R...
8
11 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Exit 2
Toward Hugh L Carey Tunnel, Brooklyn
6
18.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
I 278 / Gowanus Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 278 / Gowanus Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
21 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward Hylan Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14
Toward Hylan Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.75 one way
$7.51 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $4.06 | $8.13 |
| premium | $4.87 | $4.43 | $8.85 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $4.91 | $9.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Stapleton, NY
Late night in Stapleton on Sunday
Local time
4:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
10 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
46m 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 drive presents a mixed profile, with 47% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate stretches like the Gowanus Expressway for up to 5.3 miles, offering a taste of faster-paced urban driving. The route transitions between parkways and city streets, so be prepared for changes in speed and traffic patterns as you progress. It’s not an entirely monotonous highway experience, but rather a blend of efficient expressway travel and more urban road conditions.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.3 mi on Gowanus Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 0.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 23.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 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 Washington Heights, NY to Stapleton, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Brooklyn along the way.
Brooklyn
11 mi in
|
~24m
About the Cities
Starting in Washington Heights, 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 46m. Total distance: 23.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m 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.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.3 miles on Gowanus Expressway. 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 Stapleton, 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: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Castle Clinton National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and General Grant National Memorial (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 Stapleton, 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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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