Best Time to Drive from Chinatown to Staten Island

None of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Chinatown to Staten Island by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	37	41	40	42	47	45	43	45	49	56	58	51	41	39	38
Tue	28	33	39	44	42	42	46	44	43	45	54	57	60	57	46	43	40
Wed	29	34	38	40	42	43	45	44	45	48	55	61	65	54	47	43	40
Thu	29	34	38	41	44	43	49	44	47	55	63	65	68	61	52	45	43
Fri	30	33	38	39	39	42	48	49	52	63	70	75	72	60	48	43	41
Sat	30	29	30	35	38	44	46	48	47	47	45	43	45	44	45	44	43
Sun	30	29	29	30	34	36	39	43	43	44	44	44	45	44	43	43	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 20-mile drive from Chinatown to Staten Island (via I-278 South and I-278 West) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 75 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (13 to 35 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Chinatown to central Staten Island along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Chinatown to Staten Island?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 75 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Chinatown to Staten Island?

The 20-mile drive usually takes 28 to 75 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Chinatown to Staten Island?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 75 minutes.

More drives

Staten Island to Chinatown (return trip)

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	37	41	40	42	47	45	43	45	49	56	58	51	41	39	38
Tue	28	33	39	44	42	42	46	44	43	45	54	57	60	57	46	43	40
Wed	29	34	38	40	42	43	45	44	45	48	55	61	65	54	47	43	40
Thu	29	34	38	41	44	43	49	44	47	55	63	65	68	61	52	45	43
Fri	30	33	38	39	39	42	48	49	52	63	70	75	72	60	48	43	41
Sat	30	29	30	35	38	44	46	48	47	47	45	43	45	44	45	44	43
Sun	30	29	29	30	34	36	39	43	43	44	44	44	45	44	43	43	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	37	41	40	42	47	45	43	45	49	56	58	51	41	39	38
Tue	28	33	39	44	42	42	46	44	43	45	54	57	60	57	46	43	40
Wed	29	34	38	40	42	43	45	44	45	48	55	61	65	54	47	43	40
Thu	29	34	38	41	44	43	49	44	47	55	63	65	68	61	52	45	43
Fri	30	33	38	39	39	42	48	49	52	63	70	75	72	60	48	43	41
Sat	30	29	30	35	38	44	46	48	47	47	45	43	45	44	45	44	43
Sun	30	29	29	30	34	36	39	43	43	44	44	44	45	44	43	43	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	37	41	40	42	47	45	43	45	49	56	58	51	41	39	38
Tue	28	33	39	44	42	42	46	44	43	45	54	57	60	57	46	43	40
Wed	29	34	38	40	42	43	45	44	45	48	55	61	65	54	47	43	40
Thu	29	34	38	41	44	43	49	44	47	55	63	65	68	61	52	45	43
Fri	30	33	38	39	39	42	48	49	52	63	70	75	72	60	48	43	41
Sat	30	29	30	35	38	44	46	48	47	47	45	43	45	44	45	44	43
Sun	30	29	29	30	34	36	39	43	43	44	44	44	45	44	43	43	43