How far is Amherst, NY from Grand Island, NY?

The driving distance from Amherst, NY to Grand Island, NY is about 12.4 miles (20 km), with a travel time of about 00h 19m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 9.1 miles (14.6 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 39m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
12.41 mi
00h 19m
Flight
9.05 mi
14.57 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Amherst.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
9.05 mi
Kilometers
14.57 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
12.41 mi
Kilometers
19.97 km
Drive Time
00h 19m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 19m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Grand Island
Sat, Apr 18, 3:40 AM EDT
Return by in Amherst
Sat, Apr 18, 3:59 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Amherst
2026-04-18T03:20
Arrive Grand Island
Sat, Apr 18, 3:40 AM EDT
Route Timing
00h 19m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:20 AM to 7:20 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:50 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Amherst
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Tonawanda
NY

City in the state of New York, USA

From Amherst
6.2 mi
00h 09m
To Grand Island
6.2 mi
00h 09m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
77°F
Saturday

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
6 to 12 mph S
Destination
74°F
Saturday

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
6 to 12 mph S

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Amherst and Grand Island.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Amherst and Grand Island.

  1. 1

    Start on Millersport Highway

    2833 ft · 1 min · Millersport Highway

  2. 2

    Take the ramp slight right toward I 290 W

    1594 ft · 39 sec

  3. 3

    Merge slight left onto Youngmann Expressway

    6.8 mi · 9 min · Youngmann Expressway

  4. 4

    Keep slight right to continue on I 190 North / Niagara Falls

    1708 ft · 42 sec · I 190 North / Niagara Falls

  5. 5

    Merge slight left onto Niagara Thruway

    1.8 mi · 2 min · Niagara Thruway

  6. 6

    Take the exit slight right toward NY 324: Grand Is Blvd

    1501 ft · 31 sec

  7. 7

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Grand Island Boulevard

    25 m · 2 sec · Grand Island Boulevard

  8. 8

    Exit the roundabout onto Grand Island Boulevard

    1.5 mi · 3 min · Grand Island Boulevard

  9. 9

    Turn slight right onto Baseline Road

    1.1 km · 2 min · Baseline Road

  10. 10

    Turn right onto Homeland Drive

    142 m · 23 sec · Homeland Drive

  11. 11

    Turn right onto Colonial Drive

    743 ft · 33 sec · Colonial Drive

  12. 12

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Colonial Drive

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Amherst and Grand Island.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
12 steps
5 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
6
2 merges, 4 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
96.8 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Youngmann Expressway
6.82 mi · 55%
Niagara Thruway
1.75 mi · 14%
Grand Island Boulevard
1.5 mi · 12%
Baseline Road
0.67 mi · 5%
Millersport Highway
0.54 mi · 4%
I 190 North / Niagara Falls
0.32 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

Youngmann Expressway

Merge slight left onto Youngmann Expressway

6.82 mi · 00h 09m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 19m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 40m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+3.3 mi
9.1 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Tonawanda
00h 09m from Amherst
Leave By
7:50 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely leaving Amherst and Showers And Thunderstorms Likely near Grand Island.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Amherst to Grand Island?

The road trip is about 12.4 miles (20 km) and usually takes 00h 19m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Tonawanda is a useful midpoint, sitting about 6.2 miles from Amherst and 6.2 miles from Grand Island.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 9.1 miles (14.6 km), while the road route adds roughly 3.3 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:50 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $1.76 one way or $3.53 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 3.9 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Showers And Thunderstorms Likely around Amherst and Showers And Thunderstorms Likely near Grand Island.

Stop Ideas Near Tonawanda

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Tonawanda, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Tonawanda.

RAIL

Buffalo–Exchange Street

16 mi away
75 Exchange Street
RAIL

Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center

16 mi away
27th St. and Lockport Rd.
RAIL

Buffalo–Depew station

18 mi away
55 Dick Road
BUS

Dunkirk, New York

70 mi away
411 Central Ave.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Amherst and Grand Island. Straight-line distance: 9.05 mi (14.57 km).

Amherst

#1 Amherst

Town in New York, United States

Population120,809
Coordinates42.9783900, -78.7997600
Altitude182
CountryUnited States
Grand Island

#2 Grand Island

Town in New York

Population21,767
Coordinates43.0331100, -78.9625400
Altitude178
CountryUnited States
Start: Amherst (-78.79976, 42.97839)
End: Grand Island (-78.96254, 43.03311)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 20 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 24m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 18m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 14m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 12m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 10m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 09m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.44 gal
1.66 L · about $1.76
Round trip
$3.53
0.88 gal · 3.32 L
Estimated CO2
3.9 kg one way
Round trip: 7.8 kg / 17 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $4.01 $1.76 $3.53
Mid-grade $4.48 $1.97 $3.94
Premium $4.86 $2.14 $4.28
Diesel $4.69 $2.07 $4.13

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in New York · Apr 18, 2026

There is no time difference between Amherst and Grand Island. The current time is 03:20:10.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.