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.

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	45	45	40	39	40	45	58	57	49	39	34	36
Tue	27	31	36	41	42	46	49	42	42	44	47	59	60	54	47	41	48
Wed	27	30	36	42	44	44	48	42	45	45	51	65	66	62	51	43	50
Thu	26	31	37	41	44	48	52	46	45	47	51	62	62	58	52	48	49
Fri	29	33	37	42	42	41	48	46	43	44	49	58	55	49	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	29	32	31	38	37	38	39	40	41	46	49	50	48	46	43
Sun	27	27	28	30	34	30	37	35	36	39	41	46	50	48	44	41	40

About this drive

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 68 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).

About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (8 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central East Harlem to central Brooklyn 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 East Harlem to Brooklyn?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 68 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 68 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 68 minutes.

More drives

Brooklyn to East Harlem (return trip) · East Harlem to Jersey City · East Harlem to Bayonne

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	45	45	40	39	40	45	58	57	49	39	34	36
Tue	27	31	36	41	42	46	49	42	42	44	47	59	60	54	47	41	48
Wed	27	30	36	42	44	44	48	42	45	45	51	65	66	62	51	43	50
Thu	26	31	37	41	44	48	52	46	45	47	51	62	62	58	52	48	49
Fri	29	33	37	42	42	41	48	46	43	44	49	58	55	49	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	29	32	31	38	37	38	39	40	41	46	49	50	48	46	43
Sun	27	27	28	30	34	30	37	35	36	39	41	46	50	48	44	41	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	30	34	40	44	45	45	40	39	40	45	58	57	49	39	34	36
Tue	27	31	36	41	42	46	49	42	42	44	47	59	60	54	47	41	48
Wed	27	30	36	42	44	44	48	42	45	45	51	65	66	62	51	43	50
Thu	26	31	37	41	44	48	52	46	45	47	51	62	62	58	52	48	49
Fri	29	33	37	42	42	41	48	46	43	44	49	58	55	49	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	29	32	31	38	37	38	39	40	41	46	49	50	48	46	43
Sun	27	27	28	30	34	30	37	35	36	39	41	46	50	48	44	41	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	30	34	40	44	45	45	40	39	40	45	58	57	49	39	34	36
Tue	27	31	36	41	42	46	49	42	42	44	47	59	60	54	47	41	48
Wed	27	30	36	42	44	44	48	42	45	45	51	65	66	62	51	43	50
Thu	26	31	37	41	44	48	52	46	45	47	51	62	62	58	52	48	49
Fri	29	33	37	42	42	41	48	46	43	44	49	58	55	49	45	45	41
Sat	30	26	29	32	31	38	37	38	39	40	41	46	49	50	48	46	43
Sun	27	27	28	30	34	30	37	35	36	39	41	46	50	48	44	41	40