Best Time to Drive from Queens 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.

On weekdays the 19-mile drive from Queens to Washington Heights (via I-678 North and I-95 West) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 111 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (74 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Washington Heights to Queens

Freeway, about 16 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 4 miles: 7 to 28 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 Queens to central Washington Heights 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 Queens 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	29	38	64	83	69	66	79	79	80	88	82	83	77	63	55	42	37
Tue	38	42	65	72	79	76	81	84	86	90	87	84	81	69	60	43	36
Wed	38	52	66	72	68	66	61	85	89	94	96	88	85	73	63	46	38
Thu	45	44	59	75	71	64	74	78	85	92	93	90	86	78	68	56	40
Fri	35	50	62	67	79	70	97	92	97	108	110	110	100	96	84	70	56
Sat	33	31	39	48	51	59	68	58	64	70	64	74	69	66	61	53	48
Sun	27	28	28	29	33	41	43	48	54	62	64	68	66	58	56	55	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 Queens to Washington Heights?

On weekdays, leave early in the morning or late in the evening. 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 Queens to Washington Heights?

The 19-mile drive usually takes 29 to 111 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Queens to Washington Heights?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 111 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

Washington Heights to Queens (return trip) · Queens to Yonkers · Queens to Paterson · Queens to Clifton · Queens to New Rochelle · Queens to Passaic · Queens to Mount Vernon · Queens to Bayside · Queens to Wayne · Queens to Perth Amboy · Queens to Hackensack · Queens to Teaneck

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	38	64	83	69	66	79	79	80	88	82	83	77	63	55	42	37
Tue	38	42	65	72	79	76	81	84	86	90	87	84	81	69	60	43	36
Wed	38	52	66	72	68	66	61	85	89	94	96	88	85	73	63	46	38
Thu	45	44	59	75	71	64	74	78	85	92	93	90	86	78	68	56	40
Fri	35	50	62	67	79	70	97	92	97	108	110	110	100	96	84	70	56
Sat	33	31	39	48	51	59	68	58	64	70	64	74	69	66	61	53	48
Sun	27	28	28	29	33	41	43	48	54	62	64	68	66	58	56	55	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	38	64	83	69	66	79	79	80	88	82	83	77	63	55	42	37
Tue	38	42	65	72	79	76	81	84	86	90	87	84	81	69	60	43	36
Wed	38	52	66	72	68	66	61	85	89	94	96	88	85	73	63	46	38
Thu	45	44	59	75	71	64	74	78	85	92	93	90	86	78	68	56	40
Fri	35	50	62	67	79	70	97	92	97	108	110	110	100	96	84	70	56
Sat	33	31	39	48	51	59	68	58	64	70	64	74	69	66	61	53	48
Sun	27	28	28	29	33	41	43	48	54	62	64	68	66	58	56	55	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	38	64	83	69	66	79	79	80	88	82	83	77	63	55	42	37
Tue	38	42	65	72	79	76	81	84	86	90	87	84	81	69	60	43	36
Wed	38	52	66	72	68	66	61	85	89	94	96	88	85	73	63	46	38
Thu	45	44	59	75	71	64	74	78	85	92	93	90	86	78	68	56	40
Fri	35	50	62	67	79	70	97	92	97	108	110	110	100	96	84	70	56
Sat	33	31	39	48	51	59	68	58	64	70	64	74	69	66	61	53	48
Sun	27	28	28	29	33	41	43	48	54	62	64	68	66	58	56	55	45