How far is Clifton, NY from New York City, NY?

The driving distance from Clifton, NY to New York City, NY is about 12.5 miles (20.1 km), with a travel time of about 00h 27m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 7.5 miles (12.1 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 54m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.
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
12.48 mi
00h 27m
Flight
7.5 mi
12.07 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Clifton.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
7.5 mi
Kilometers
12.07 km
Flight Time

Driving Distance

Road route
12.48 mi
Kilometers
20.08 km
Drive Time
00h 27m

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 27m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in New York City
Sun, Nov 8, 8:57 AM EST
Return by in Clifton
Sun, Nov 8, 9:24 AM EST
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Clifton
2026-11-08T08:30
Arrive New York City
Sun, Nov 8, 8:57 AM EST
Route Timing
00h 27m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:27 AM to 7:27 PM EST

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

Leave by
7:36 PM EST
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Clifton
10:00 PM EST
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

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

Mid-route stop
Kensington
NY

Village in New York, United States

From Clifton
6.5 mi
00h 13m
To New York City
6 mi
00h 13m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
46°F
Overnight

Mostly Cloudy

Starts
Sun, Nov 8 4:00 AM EST
Wind
15 mph W
Destination
New York City Weather
NY
Live fallback forecast
62°F
Sunday
Using Manhattan as the closest live forecast in the New York County weather hub.

Sunny

Starts
Sun, Nov 8 6:00 AM EST
Wind
18 mph W

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Clifton and New York City.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clifton and New York City.

  1. 1

    Start on Vanderbilt Avenue

    13 m · 6 sec · Vanderbilt Avenue

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Tompkins Avenue

    1 km · 2 min · Tompkins Avenue

  3. 3

    Turn slight right

    94 m · 13 sec

  4. 4

    Continue on Hylan Boulevard

    2748 ft · 1 min · Hylan Boulevard

  5. 5

    Turn left onto Narrows Road South

    553 ft · 19 sec · Narrows Road South

  6. 6

    Take the ramp slight left toward I 278 Toll East: Verrazano Bridge, Brooklyn

    1236 ft · 30 sec

  7. 7

    Merge slight left onto Staten Island Expressway

    751 ft · 13 sec · Staten Island Expressway

  8. 8

    Keep slight left to continue on Staten Island Expressway

    1.2 km · 1 min · Staten Island Expressway

  9. 9

    Continue on Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

    1.3 mi · 2 min · Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

  10. 10

    Continue on Gowanus Expressway

    5.5 mi · 8 min · Gowanus Expressway

  11. 11

    Keep slight right to continue on Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

    2.1 mi · 3 min · Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

  12. 12

    Take the exit slight right toward Brooklyn Bridge

    1103 ft · 38 sec

  13. 13

    Merge slight left onto Brooklyn Bridge

    1.1 mi · 3 min · Brooklyn Bridge

  14. 14

    Continue on Centre Street

    739 ft · 39 sec · Centre Street

  15. 15

    Turn left onto Reade Street

    758 ft · 42 sec · Reade Street

  16. 16

    Turn left onto Broadway

    43 m · 6 sec · Broadway

  17. 17

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Broadway

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Clifton and New York City.

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
17 steps
5 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
4
2 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
136 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Gowanus Expressway
5.55 mi · 44%
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
2.09 mi · 17%
Brooklyn Bridge
1.27 mi · 10%
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
1.26 mi · 10%
Staten Island Expressway
0.87 mi · 7%
Tompkins Avenue
0.64 mi · 5%
Longest Stretch

Gowanus Expressway

Continue on Gowanus Expressway

5.55 mi · 00h 08m

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 27m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 54m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+5 mi
7.5 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Kensington
00h 13m from Clifton
Leave By
7:36 PM EST
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Mostly Cloudy leaving Clifton and Sunny near New York City.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Clifton to New York City?

The road trip is about 12.5 miles (20.1 km) and usually takes 00h 27m 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?

Kensington is a useful midpoint, sitting about 6.5 miles from Clifton and 6 miles from New York City.

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

The direct path is about 7.5 miles (12.1 km), while the road route adds roughly 5 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 EST. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:36 PM EST.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $1.89 one way or $3.78 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 3.9 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Mostly Cloudy around Clifton and Sunny near New York City.

Stop Ideas Near Kensington

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

Mid-route Guidance
These suggestions come from reviewed places and nearby services around Kensington and the surrounding midpoint area.
City Hall Parking Lot
Scenic stop 5.3 mi away

City Hall Parking Lot

Jersey City , NJ
280 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Rating 5.0/5 2 reviews Parking lot
The Yard: City Hall Park NYC
Practical stop 4.7 mi away

The Yard: City Hall Park NYC

New York , NY
116 Nassau St, New York, NY 10038
Rating 4.8/5 45 reviews Office space rental agency,Business to business service,Conference center,Coworking space,Event venue,Executive suite rental agency,Virtual office rental
CITY HALL LOBBY
Meeting point 6.6 mi away

CITY HALL LOBBY

Hoboken , NJ
94 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Rating 4.8/5 8 reviews City Hall
Diamond City Hall Photography
Nearby stop 5.1 mi away

Diamond City Hall Photography

New York , NY
141 Worth St, New York, NY 10013
Rating 5.0/5 53 reviews Wedding photographer

Transit and Meeting Points

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

RAIL

Pennsylvania Station

12 mi away
8th Ave 31st Street / 8th Ave 33rd Street
RAIL

Pennsylvania Station

19 mi away
1 Raymond Plaza West
RAIL

Newark Liberty International Airport

20 mi away
Newark Liberty International Airport
RAIL

Metropark station

31 mi away
100 Middlesex-Essex Turnpike

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Clifton and New York City. Straight-line distance: 7.5 mi (12.07 km).

Photo coming soon

#1 Clifton

Clifton is a place in New York, United States.

Population0
Coordinates40.6201000, -74.0770900
Altitude16
CountryUnited States
New York City

#2 New York City

The most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area.

Population8,398,748
Coordinates40.7142700, -74.0059700
Altitude10
CountryUnited States
Start: Vanderbilt Avenue (-74.077042, 40.620115)
End: Broadway (-74.006153, 40.714356)

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
1.67 L · about $1.89
Round trip
$3.78
0.88 gal · 3.34 L
Estimated CO2
3.9 kg one way
Round trip: 7.8 kg / 17 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $4.29 $1.89 $3.78
Mid-grade $4.86 $2.14 $4.27
Premium $5.25 $2.31 $4.62
Diesel $6.46 $2.84 $5.68

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 · Nov 07, 2026

There is no time difference between Clifton and New York City. The current time is 08:30:10.

Distance to Other Cities

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