New York to Albany distance
New York and Albany are 134 miles (216 km) apart in a straight line and 149 miles (240 km) apart by road: about 3 hr 5 min of driving without stops, mostly on NY 17 and NJ 17. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 149 mi (240 km)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 5 min
- Straight line
- 134 mi (216 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 134 mi (216 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 149 mi (240 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 5 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +11% 1.11 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 49 mph (78 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 5° (north) leaving New York toward Albany |
| Midpoint | 41.6836° N, 73.8830° W in Vassar College (New York) |
| Halfway by road | Near Gardiner (New York) 74.7 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | New York: 35 ft (11 m) · Albany: 143 ft (44 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | New York: 8,584,629 · Albany: 101,698 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
New York to Albany by road
The fastest driving route is 149 miles (240 km) long and takes about 3 hr 5 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on NY 17 (112 mi) and NJ 17 (22.9 mi).
It goes through 2 states: New York (117 mi) and New Jersey (32.7 mi). That’s an average of 49 mph (78 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3 hr 25 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, New York and Albany are 134 miles (216 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 11% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 111. The route runs almost straight. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 71st for detour (the average is 16%).
From New York, Albany lies to the north (bearing 5°), and from Albany, New York lies to the south.
Halfway between New York and Albany
Halfway along the straight line, 67.2 miles (108 km) from each city, is the point 41.6836° N, 73.8830° W. It falls in Vassar College (New York, pop. 3,529). The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Agawam Town (Massachusetts, pop. 28,783), 68.6 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 74.7 miles (120 km) from each city, near Gardiner (New York, pop. 1,210), 4.2 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Agawam Town (Massachusetts, pop. 28,783), 78.8 mi away. The two midpoints are 10.3 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
New York and Albany share the same time all year: both are on Eastern Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
New York sits at 35 ft (11 m) and Albany at 143 ft (44 m), 108 ft (33 m) higher.
New York has 8.6 million people and Albany 101,698 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from New York to Albany?
134 miles (216 km) in a straight line and 149 miles (240 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on NY 17 and NJ 17).
How long is the drive from New York to Albany?
About 3 hr 5 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 25 min.
Where is the halfway point between New York and Albany?
In a straight line, in Vassar College (New York). By road, 74.7 mi from each city, near Gardiner (New York).
Are New York and Albany in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Eastern Time all year.
Which direction is Albany from New York?
North: the straight line leaves New York on a bearing of 5° (0° is north and 90° is east).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from New York
All distances- New York to Providence 155 mi straight line · 183 mi by road · 4 hr 5 min
- New York to Charlotte 531 mi straight line · 623 mi by road · 12 hr 25 min
- New York to Houston 1,419 mi straight line · 1,627 mi by road · 30 hr 10 min
- New York to Dallas 1,373 mi straight line · 1,549 mi by road · 28 hr 15 min
- New York to San Francisco 2,572 mi straight line · 2,910 mi by road · 51 hr 15 min
- New York to Seattle 2,408 mi straight line · 2,860 mi by road · 50 hr 45 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology