Origin
Waterville, NY
Late night in Waterville on Sunday
Local time
12:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterville, NY to Clayton Center, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
41.4 mi
67 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 4m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterville, NY
Clément Proust
Clayton Center, NY
Brent Singleton
Trip Overview
Waterville, NY to Clayton Center, NY is 41.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 9 minutes via NY 12 and I 81, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within New York, taking you from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this relatively short trip. Given the brief duration and straightforward path, it's an easy day trip for most travelers looking to cover this specific distance efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NY 12 | 15.5 mi | 23m |
| I 81 | 14.3 mi | 16m |
| County Road 189 | 4.9 mi | 11m |
| County Road 5 | 2.2 mi | 5m |
| County Road 92 | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Waterville Road | 1.3 mi | 5m |
| South Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Church Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NY 12
— 15.5 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterville, NY and Clayton Center, NY.
1
Start on Waterville Road
1.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Waterville Road
2
At end of road, turn right onto County Road 92
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
County Road 92
3
Continue on County Road 93
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
County Road 93
4
Continue on County Road 189
4.9 mi
·
11 min
·
County Road 189
5
Continue on South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Main Street
6
Continue on US 11
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Main Street
7
Turn left onto NY 178
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
West Church Street
8
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 81 North
9
Merge onto I 81
14 mi
·
16 min
·
I 81
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 47
Toward NY 12: Clayton
11
Turn left onto NY 12
16 mi
·
23 min
·
NY 12
12
Turn right onto CR 5
2.2 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road 5
13
Turn right onto Ellis Road
79 ft
·
3 sec
·
Ellis Road
14
Arrive at destination
Ellis Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.7 miles from Waterville, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 23.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
County Road 92
At end of road, turn right onto County Road 92
Navigation decision point
4
8.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
NY 178 / West Church Street
Turn left onto NY 178 / West Church Street
Navigation decision point
5
8.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the ramp toward I 81 North
Navigation decision point
Toward I 81 North
5
9.3 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 81
Merge onto I 81
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
23.6 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward NY 12: Clayton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 47
Toward NY 12: Clayton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.81 one way
$13.63 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.37 | $14.74 |
| premium | $4.92 | $8.02 | $16.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.14 | $18.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.62 | $1.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.80 | $2.65 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Clayton Center, NY
Late night in Clayton Center on Sunday
Local time
12:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
39°F
Watertown, NY
21 mi in
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
1h 9m 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 is predominantly highway-focused, with 72% of the drive utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 15.5 miles on NY 12, offering a consistent pace. The journey then transitions to I 81, providing a more rapid transit feel for a portion of the drive. Expect a fairly direct and uncomplicated driving experience, with limited interaction with slower, local roads.
72% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.5 mi on NY 12.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NY 12 and I 81. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near County Road 92.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 9m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (County Road 92): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (NY 178 / West Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles: Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 41.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.5 miles on NY 12. 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 1.3 miles (County Road 92): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (NY 178 / West Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clayton Center, 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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