Best Time to Drive from Staten Island to Lower Manhattan

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 Staten Island to Lower Manhattan (via I-278 East and I-278 North) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 51 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (40 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Lower Manhattan to Staten Island

Freeway, about 11 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 4 miles: 11 to 24 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 Staten Island (Willow Road East) to central Lower Manhattan (Wall Street) 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 Staten Island to Lower Manhattan 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	24	30	37	40	39	35	35	37	33	30	34	36	35	35	29	27	26
Tue	24	32	45	51	48	39	37	33	31	30	33	37	37	37	32	28	26
Wed	24	31	39	46	45	39	37	33	32	33	37	37	38	38	33	28	27
Thu	24	31	38	42	43	40	36	36	33	35	37	39	40	43	38	31	27
Fri	24	29	35	36	33	32	34	35	35	38	42	45	44	41	36	31	28
Sat	23	23	24	25	28	34	36	37	40	39	38	34	34	35	32	30	29
Sun	23	23	23	24	24	26	30	34	35	39	38	36	34	34	33	32	31

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 Staten Island to Lower Manhattan?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 51 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 15-mile drive usually takes 24 to 51 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Staten Island to Lower Manhattan?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 51 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

Lower Manhattan to Staten Island (return trip) · Staten Island to Midtown Manhattan · Staten Island to Harlem · Staten Island to Downtown Brooklyn · Staten Island to Bay Ridge · Staten Island to Flushing · Staten Island 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	24	30	37	40	39	35	35	37	33	30	34	36	35	35	29	27	26
Tue	24	32	45	51	48	39	37	33	31	30	33	37	37	37	32	28	26
Wed	24	31	39	46	45	39	37	33	32	33	37	37	38	38	33	28	27
Thu	24	31	38	42	43	40	36	36	33	35	37	39	40	43	38	31	27
Fri	24	29	35	36	33	32	34	35	35	38	42	45	44	41	36	31	28
Sat	23	23	24	25	28	34	36	37	40	39	38	34	34	35	32	30	29
Sun	23	23	23	24	24	26	30	34	35	39	38	36	34	34	33	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	24	30	37	40	39	35	35	37	33	30	34	36	35	35	29	27	26
Tue	24	32	45	51	48	39	37	33	31	30	33	37	37	37	32	28	26
Wed	24	31	39	46	45	39	37	33	32	33	37	37	38	38	33	28	27
Thu	24	31	38	42	43	40	36	36	33	35	37	39	40	43	38	31	27
Fri	24	29	35	36	33	32	34	35	35	38	42	45	44	41	36	31	28
Sat	23	23	24	25	28	34	36	37	40	39	38	34	34	35	32	30	29
Sun	23	23	23	24	24	26	30	34	35	39	38	36	34	34	33	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	24	30	37	40	39	35	35	37	33	30	34	36	35	35	29	27	26
Tue	24	32	45	51	48	39	37	33	31	30	33	37	37	37	32	28	26
Wed	24	31	39	46	45	39	37	33	32	33	37	37	38	38	33	28	27
Thu	24	31	38	42	43	40	36	36	33	35	37	39	40	43	38	31	27
Fri	24	29	35	36	33	32	34	35	35	38	42	45	44	41	36	31	28
Sat	23	23	24	25	28	34	36	37	40	39	38	34	34	35	32	30	29
Sun	23	23	23	24	24	26	30	34	35	39	38	36	34	34	33	32	31