Best Time to Drive from Coney Island to Manhattan

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 Coney Island to Manhattan 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	31	45	60	80	72	61	56	52	52	52	54	66	70	63	44	42	41
Tue	31	46	65	96	88	79	68	60	56	55	58	71	77	72	50	45	44
Wed	32	50	65	92	87	75	68	67	61	62	60	72	80	70	51	45	45
Thu	32	49	66	93	88	79	70	75	67	67	66	77	88	82	58	46	46
Fri	32	42	59	75	67	61	57	57	59	70	83	93	94	80	61	47	43
Sat	31	31	34	40	42	50	59	62	65	67	67	62	66	62	54	50	48
Sun	31	30	32	34	38	40	45	54	58	65	62	59	56	52	46	46	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 20-mile drive from Coney Island to Manhattan (via I-278 North and I-478 West) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 97 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (69 minutes).

About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (15 to 43 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Coney Island to central Manhattan 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 Coney Island to Manhattan?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 97 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Coney Island to Manhattan?

The 20-mile drive usually takes 31 to 97 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Coney Island to Manhattan?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 97 minutes.

More drives

Manhattan to Coney Island (return trip) · Coney Island to Fordham · Coney Island to Co-op City · Coney Island to Staten Island

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	45	60	80	72	61	56	52	52	52	54	66	70	63	44	42	41
Tue	31	46	65	96	88	79	68	60	56	55	58	71	77	72	50	45	44
Wed	32	50	65	92	87	75	68	67	61	62	60	72	80	70	51	45	45
Thu	32	49	66	93	88	79	70	75	67	67	66	77	88	82	58	46	46
Fri	32	42	59	75	67	61	57	57	59	70	83	93	94	80	61	47	43
Sat	31	31	34	40	42	50	59	62	65	67	67	62	66	62	54	50	48
Sun	31	30	32	34	38	40	45	54	58	65	62	59	56	52	46	46	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	45	60	80	72	61	56	52	52	52	54	66	70	63	44	42	41
Tue	31	46	65	96	88	79	68	60	56	55	58	71	77	72	50	45	44
Wed	32	50	65	92	87	75	68	67	61	62	60	72	80	70	51	45	45
Thu	32	49	66	93	88	79	70	75	67	67	66	77	88	82	58	46	46
Fri	32	42	59	75	67	61	57	57	59	70	83	93	94	80	61	47	43
Sat	31	31	34	40	42	50	59	62	65	67	67	62	66	62	54	50	48
Sun	31	30	32	34	38	40	45	54	58	65	62	59	56	52	46	46	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	45	60	80	72	61	56	52	52	52	54	66	70	63	44	42	41
Tue	31	46	65	96	88	79	68	60	56	55	58	71	77	72	50	45	44
Wed	32	50	65	92	87	75	68	67	61	62	60	72	80	70	51	45	45
Thu	32	49	66	93	88	79	70	75	67	67	66	77	88	82	58	46	46
Fri	32	42	59	75	67	61	57	57	59	70	83	93	94	80	61	47	43
Sat	31	31	34	40	42	50	59	62	65	67	67	62	66	62	54	50	48
Sun	31	30	32	34	38	40	45	54	58	65	62	59	56	52	46	46	45