Albany NY to Buffalo drive: Best stops, distance & time
The distance from Albany NY to Buffalo is 289 miles, with a 4h11m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Albany NY to Buffalo drive are the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls and Canandaigua.
Planning an Albany NY to Buffalo road trip itinerary
The Albany NY to Buffalo drive takes you through New York State from the capital city to the shores of Lake Erie.
Albany is the capital of New York State, and the New York State Capitol is the top attraction. It’s a bombastic piece of 19th century opulence, and walk-in tours are available.
The other key attraction is the New York State Museum, which covers a massive range of topics. One minute it’s the ice age, the next it’s fire engines or birds.
Other top Albany experiences include after dark ghost tours.
Buffalo is often written off as the gateway to Niagara Falls, but there’s more to the city than that. Cultural highlights include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
The waterside Buffalo Harbor State Park, meanwhile, offers paddleboard and kayak rentals plus a beach and playgrounds.
Good experiences in Buffalo include Best of Buffalo double decker bus tours, a history of chicken wings food tour and the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration National Historic Site.
For excellent places to stay in Buffalo, try the historic landmark Richardson Hotel or the charming Hotel at the Lafayette.
Albany NY to Buffalo distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Albany NY to Buffalo is 289 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 11 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-90.
The best stops to add to an Albany NY to Buffalo road trip itinerary are the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls and Canandaigua.
Albany to Buffalo drive: International Boxing Hall of Fame
In Canastota NY, the International Boxing Hall of Fame celebrates the greatest boxers of all time. There are induction ceremonies every year, but for most visitors, the IBHAK is a chance to learn more about great pugilists from Muhammad Ali to Carl Froch.
As a museum, it’s not as good as it could be, and it feels oddly low budget compared to Halls of Fame for other sports.
Albany to Buffalo road trip attractions: Seneca Falls
The small town of Seneca Fallas is known as the Birthplace of Women’s Rights. In 1848, a convention was held here to discuss the rights of women, and a movement spread from there.
The Wesleyan Chapel where the convention was held is now part of the Women’s Rights National Historic Park. Several other buildings linked to the convention and resultant declaration are inside the park and open to visitors.
Nearby is the National Women’s Hall of Fame, which celebrates the feats of great American women, from Abigail Adams to Oprah Winfrey.
Film fans, meanwhile, can head to the It’s A Wonderful Life Museum. Frank Capra supposedly used Seneca Falls as the inspiration for the fictional town of Bedford Falls.
Best stops between Albany and Buffalo: Canandaigua
Canandaigua is at the top of Canandaigua Lake, and is home to the Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum. This handsome mansion was home to the longest-serving Postmaster General of the United States. You need to take a guided tour to go inside and see the horse-drawn carriage collection.
Fans of glorious mansions can also visit the Sonnenburg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Site, although it’s the perfectly primped formal gardens that are the highlight here.
You can also enjoy Lake Canandaigua wine tours, beer tours that hop between local craft breweries and sunset cruises on the lake.
More Albany NY road trips
Albany NY to Chicago | Albany to Niagara Falls | Albany NY to Syracuse NY.
More Buffalo road trips
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