New York to Buffalo distance
New York and Buffalo are 293 miles (471 km) apart in a straight line and 373 miles (601 km) apart by road: about 7 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-86 and I-80. 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
- 373 mi (601 km)
- Driving time
- 7 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 293 mi (471 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 | 293 mi (471 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 373 mi (601 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 7 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +27% 1.27 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 47 mph (76 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 302° (northwest) leaving New York toward Buffalo |
| Midpoint | 41.8263° N, 76.4010° W near North Towanda (Pennsylvania) |
| Halfway by road | Near Crest View Heights (New York) 187 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | New York: 35 ft (11 m) · Buffalo: 602 ft (183 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | New York: 8,584,629 · Buffalo: 274,613 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
New York to Buffalo by road
The fastest driving route is 373 miles (601 km) long and takes about 7 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-86 (100 mi), I-80 (63.6 mi), and I-81 (58.1 mi).
It goes through 3 states: New York (211 mi), New Jersey (68.9 mi), and Pennsylvania (93.2 mi). That’s an average of 47 mph (76 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 3 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 8 hr 50 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 Buffalo are 293 miles (471 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 27% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 127. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 9th for detour (the average is 16%).
From New York, Buffalo lies to the northwest (bearing 302°), and from Buffalo, New York lies to the southeast. The straight line reaches Buffalo on a bearing of 299°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between New York and Buffalo
Halfway along the straight line, 146 miles (236 km) from each city, is the point 41.8263° N, 76.4010° W. It falls near North Towanda (Pennsylvania, pop. 589), 3.7 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 187 miles (300 km) from each city, near Crest View Heights (New York, pop. 1,852), 1.0 mi away. The two midpoints are 22.5 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
New York and Buffalo 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 Buffalo at 602 ft (183 m), 567 ft (173 m) higher.
New York has 8.6 million people and Buffalo 274,613 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from New York to Buffalo?
293 miles (471 km) in a straight line and 373 miles (601 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-86 and I-80).
How long is the drive from New York to Buffalo?
About 7 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 3 stops of 20 minutes, about 8 hr 50 min.
Where is the halfway point between New York and Buffalo?
In a straight line, near North Towanda (Pennsylvania). By road, 187 mi from each city, near Crest View Heights (New York).
Are New York and Buffalo in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Eastern Time all year.
Which city is higher, New York or Buffalo?
Buffalo, at 602 ft (183 m); New York sits at 35 ft (11 m).
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.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
More distances from New York
All distances- New York to Albany 134 mi straight line · 149 mi by road · 3 hr 5 min
- 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
More distances from Buffalo
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