Best Time to Drive from East Harlem to Brooklyn

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.

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from East Harlem to Brooklyn (via FDR Drive South and I-478 East) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 67 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (50 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Brooklyn to East Harlem

Freeway, about 13 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 3 miles: 8 to 23 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central East Harlem to central Brooklyn along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from East Harlem to Brooklyn 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	26	30	34	40	44	43	46	39	39	40	44	57	55	49	39	34	35
Tue	27	32	35	41	42	46	48	42	42	43	45	57	59	54	45	42	47
Wed	26	31	36	40	43	44	44	41	44	45	51	64	62	61	49	41	50
Thu	26	31	36	41	44	50	52	45	45	48	51	60	61	58	50	45	47
Fri	31	32	36	41	41	41	47	47	44	43	48	57	53	48	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	28	33	33	32	36	38	41	42	40	46	49	49	47	43	44
Sun	27	26	27	30	34	32	35	35	35	37	39	44	49	44	41	39	38

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 East Harlem to Brooklyn?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 67 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Harlem to Brooklyn?

The 16-mile drive usually takes 26 to 67 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Harlem to Brooklyn?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 67 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

Brooklyn to East Harlem (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	26	30	34	40	44	43	46	39	39	40	44	57	55	49	39	34	35
Tue	27	32	35	41	42	46	48	42	42	43	45	57	59	54	45	42	47
Wed	26	31	36	40	43	44	44	41	44	45	51	64	62	61	49	41	50
Thu	26	31	36	41	44	50	52	45	45	48	51	60	61	58	50	45	47
Fri	31	32	36	41	41	41	47	47	44	43	48	57	53	48	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	28	33	33	32	36	38	41	42	40	46	49	49	47	43	44
Sun	27	26	27	30	34	32	35	35	35	37	39	44	49	44	41	39	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	30	34	40	44	43	46	39	39	40	44	57	55	49	39	34	35
Tue	27	32	35	41	42	46	48	42	42	43	45	57	59	54	45	42	47
Wed	26	31	36	40	43	44	44	41	44	45	51	64	62	61	49	41	50
Thu	26	31	36	41	44	50	52	45	45	48	51	60	61	58	50	45	47
Fri	31	32	36	41	41	41	47	47	44	43	48	57	53	48	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	28	33	33	32	36	38	41	42	40	46	49	49	47	43	44
Sun	27	26	27	30	34	32	35	35	35	37	39	44	49	44	41	39	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	30	34	40	44	43	46	39	39	40	44	57	55	49	39	34	35
Tue	27	32	35	41	42	46	48	42	42	43	45	57	59	54	45	42	47
Wed	26	31	36	40	43	44	44	41	44	45	51	64	62	61	49	41	50
Thu	26	31	36	41	44	50	52	45	45	48	51	60	61	58	50	45	47
Fri	31	32	36	41	41	41	47	47	44	43	48	57	53	48	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	28	33	33	32	36	38	41	42	40	46	49	49	47	43	44
Sun	27	26	27	30	34	32	35	35	35	37	39	44	49	44	41	39	38