Best Time to Drive from Valley Stream 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 Valley Stream 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	35	43	56	82	58	48	55	66	57	68	71	75	66	47	40	36	30
Tue	26	50	78	81	62	55	66	67	72	81	92	74	84	74	61	46	47
Wed	26	68	69	84	68	58	70	65	63	71	75	69	83	71	59	52	55
Thu	37	58	74	96	57	50	57	67	65	68	83	61	58	69	51	38	35
Fri	27	40	68	73	56	71	82	84	92	105	86	67	71	88	71	74	56
Sat	30	26	27	35	39	49	51	57	62	88	80	63	62	66	68	63	58
Sun	27	26	28	35	41	37	44	51	52	58	55	58	55	40	38	35	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 22-mile drive from Valley Stream to Washington Heights (via Cross Island Pkwy North and I-95 West) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 110 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 71 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (88 minutes).

About 20 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Valley Stream 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 Valley Stream to Washington Heights?

On weekdays, leave early in the morning or late in the evening. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 110 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Valley Stream to Washington Heights?

The 22-mile drive usually takes 26 to 110 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 71 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Valley Stream to Washington Heights?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 110 minutes.

More drives

Washington Heights to Valley Stream (return trip) · Valley Stream to Manhattan · Valley Stream to The Bronx · Valley Stream to Newark · Valley Stream to Jersey City · Valley Stream to Yonkers

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	43	56	82	58	48	55	66	57	68	71	75	66	47	40	36	30
Tue	26	50	78	81	62	55	66	67	72	81	92	74	84	74	61	46	47
Wed	26	68	69	84	68	58	70	65	63	71	75	69	83	71	59	52	55
Thu	37	58	74	96	57	50	57	67	65	68	83	61	58	69	51	38	35
Fri	27	40	68	73	56	71	82	84	92	105	86	67	71	88	71	74	56
Sat	30	26	27	35	39	49	51	57	62	88	80	63	62	66	68	63	58
Sun	27	26	28	35	41	37	44	51	52	58	55	58	55	40	38	35	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	43	56	82	58	48	55	66	57	68	71	75	66	47	40	36	30
Tue	26	50	78	81	62	55	66	67	72	81	92	74	84	74	61	46	47
Wed	26	68	69	84	68	58	70	65	63	71	75	69	83	71	59	52	55
Thu	37	58	74	96	57	50	57	67	65	68	83	61	58	69	51	38	35
Fri	27	40	68	73	56	71	82	84	92	105	86	67	71	88	71	74	56
Sat	30	26	27	35	39	49	51	57	62	88	80	63	62	66	68	63	58
Sun	27	26	28	35	41	37	44	51	52	58	55	58	55	40	38	35	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	43	56	82	58	48	55	66	57	68	71	75	66	47	40	36	30
Tue	26	50	78	81	62	55	66	67	72	81	92	74	84	74	61	46	47
Wed	26	68	69	84	68	58	70	65	63	71	75	69	83	71	59	52	55
Thu	37	58	74	96	57	50	57	67	65	68	83	61	58	69	51	38	35
Fri	27	40	68	73	56	71	82	84	92	105	86	67	71	88	71	74	56
Sat	30	26	27	35	39	49	51	57	62	88	80	63	62	66	68	63	58
Sun	27	26	28	35	41	37	44	51	52	58	55	58	55	40	38	35	40