Best Time to Drive from Hempstead to Washington Heights

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 Hempstead to Washington Heights 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	32	47	65	92	65	57	63	68	63	83	79	90	77	62	41	40	36
Tue	31	56	85	88	64	62	62	71	74	85	92	76	87	71	51	44	36
Wed	31	61	68	88	68	58	67	73	79	90	102	80	90	75	52	42	38
Thu	31	49	67	88	67	58	70	79	75	84	95	76	91	72	55	43	42
Fri	29	49	73	65	61	67	75	80	95	102	99	105	96	95	69	61	46
Sat	31	31	33	38	42	49	61	60	59	73	54	57	54	59	57	50	42
Sun	30	30	31	32	36	38	45	47	50	55	52	57	51	44	42	43	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 24-mile drive from Hempstead to Washington Heights (via Cross Island Pkwy North and I-95 West) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 111 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 76 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (11 to 34 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hempstead to central Washington Heights 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 Hempstead to Washington Heights?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 111 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Hempstead to Washington Heights?

The 24-mile drive usually takes 29 to 111 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 76 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hempstead to Washington Heights?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 111 minutes.

More drives

Washington Heights to Hempstead (return trip) · Hempstead to Brooklyn · Hempstead to Queens · Hempstead to The Bronx · Hempstead to Staten Island · Hempstead to Newark · Hempstead to Jersey City · Hempstead to Yonkers · Hempstead to East New York · Hempstead to Paterson

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	47	65	92	65	57	63	68	63	83	79	90	77	62	41	40	36
Tue	31	56	85	88	64	62	62	71	74	85	92	76	87	71	51	44	36
Wed	31	61	68	88	68	58	67	73	79	90	102	80	90	75	52	42	38
Thu	31	49	67	88	67	58	70	79	75	84	95	76	91	72	55	43	42
Fri	29	49	73	65	61	67	75	80	95	102	99	105	96	95	69	61	46
Sat	31	31	33	38	42	49	61	60	59	73	54	57	54	59	57	50	42
Sun	30	30	31	32	36	38	45	47	50	55	52	57	51	44	42	43	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	47	65	92	65	57	63	68	63	83	79	90	77	62	41	40	36
Tue	31	56	85	88	64	62	62	71	74	85	92	76	87	71	51	44	36
Wed	31	61	68	88	68	58	67	73	79	90	102	80	90	75	52	42	38
Thu	31	49	67	88	67	58	70	79	75	84	95	76	91	72	55	43	42
Fri	29	49	73	65	61	67	75	80	95	102	99	105	96	95	69	61	46
Sat	31	31	33	38	42	49	61	60	59	73	54	57	54	59	57	50	42
Sun	30	30	31	32	36	38	45	47	50	55	52	57	51	44	42	43	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	47	65	92	65	57	63	68	63	83	79	90	77	62	41	40	36
Tue	31	56	85	88	64	62	62	71	74	85	92	76	87	71	51	44	36
Wed	31	61	68	88	68	58	67	73	79	90	102	80	90	75	52	42	38
Thu	31	49	67	88	67	58	70	79	75	84	95	76	91	72	55	43	42
Fri	29	49	73	65	61	67	75	80	95	102	99	105	96	95	69	61	46
Sat	31	31	33	38	42	49	61	60	59	73	54	57	54	59	57	50	42
Sun	30	30	31	32	36	38	45	47	50	55	52	57	51	44	42	43	45