Best Time to Drive from Lower Manhattan 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.

On weekdays the 15-mile drive from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island (via I-278 West and I-278 South) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (52 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Staten Island to Lower Manhattan

Freeway, about 10 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 5 miles: 17 to 40 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 Lower Manhattan (Wall Street) to central Staten Island (Willow Road East) 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 Lower Manhattan 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	30	33	39	45	46	47	48	44	43	45	52	58	59	54	46	41	40
Tue	28	35	39	48	47	48	51	48	47	47	56	60	61	60	50	45	48
Wed	28	33	41	42	47	46	47	47	46	47	59	68	68	58	52	45	47
Thu	29	34	40	45	48	48	54	50	49	57	70	72	75	63	54	48	50
Fri	35	34	38	44	44	46	53	54	59	75	81	83	77	57	50	47	45
Sat	35	31	32	37	38	42	46	50	49	49	50	48	49	49	49	47	49
Sun	33	29	30	34	37	37	41	43	44	45	45	47	48	46	45	46	45

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 Lower Manhattan to Staten Island?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island?

The 15-mile drive usually takes 28 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 83 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	39	45	46	47	48	44	43	45	52	58	59	54	46	41	40
Tue	28	35	39	48	47	48	51	48	47	47	56	60	61	60	50	45	48
Wed	28	33	41	42	47	46	47	47	46	47	59	68	68	58	52	45	47
Thu	29	34	40	45	48	48	54	50	49	57	70	72	75	63	54	48	50
Fri	35	34	38	44	44	46	53	54	59	75	81	83	77	57	50	47	45
Sat	35	31	32	37	38	42	46	50	49	49	50	48	49	49	49	47	49
Sun	33	29	30	34	37	37	41	43	44	45	45	47	48	46	45	46	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	39	45	46	47	48	44	43	45	52	58	59	54	46	41	40
Tue	28	35	39	48	47	48	51	48	47	47	56	60	61	60	50	45	48
Wed	28	33	41	42	47	46	47	47	46	47	59	68	68	58	52	45	47
Thu	29	34	40	45	48	48	54	50	49	57	70	72	75	63	54	48	50
Fri	35	34	38	44	44	46	53	54	59	75	81	83	77	57	50	47	45
Sat	35	31	32	37	38	42	46	50	49	49	50	48	49	49	49	47	49
Sun	33	29	30	34	37	37	41	43	44	45	45	47	48	46	45	46	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	39	45	46	47	48	44	43	45	52	58	59	54	46	41	40
Tue	28	35	39	48	47	48	51	48	47	47	56	60	61	60	50	45	48
Wed	28	33	41	42	47	46	47	47	46	47	59	68	68	58	52	45	47
Thu	29	34	40	45	48	48	54	50	49	57	70	72	75	63	54	48	50
Fri	35	34	38	44	44	46	53	54	59	75	81	83	77	57	50	47	45
Sat	35	31	32	37	38	42	46	50	49	49	50	48	49	49	49	47	49
Sun	33	29	30	34	37	37	41	43	44	45	45	47	48	46	45	46	45