NYC to Washington DC road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the New York City to Washington DC drive are Philadelphia, Wilmington DE and Baltimore. The distance from NYC to Washington DC by car is 225 miles, with a 3h53m driving time.
Planning a New York City to Washington DC road trip itinerary
The New York City to Washington DC road trip connects the two most powerful cities in the US.
Highlights of New York City include the Empire State Building, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History.
For great New York tours, try the boat trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a night time city lights helicopter flight and a Greenwich village food tour.
More unusual options include catacombs tours, a round-Manhattan architecture cruise and a guided exploration of Grand Central Station’s secrets.
You seriously need to shop around to find affordable New York City accommodation. Start looking for deals here.
Washington DC has an enormous range of tours, experiences and attractions available. You could happily spend weeks in the Smithsonian Museums alone. Top choices, however, include the nighttime monuments and memorials tour, small group guided visits to the Capitol and National Library of Congress and Lincoln assassination tours that visit Fords Theatre.
Memorable Washington DC accommodation options include the Willard, where Martin Luther King Jr wrote his I Have A Dream speech. There’s also the Watergate Hotel, a luxurious conversion of the offices from the Watergate scandal.
New York City to Washington DC distance and driving time
By car, the distance from New York City to Washington DC is 225 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 53 minutes.
The best stops to add to a New York City to Washington DC road trip itinerary are Philadelphia, Wilmington DE and Baltimore.
For more suggestions, see the guides to the individual legs of the journey.
- New York City to Philadelphia drive.
- Philadelphia to Baltimore drive.
- Baltimore to Washington DC drive.
Best stops between New York City and Washington DC: Philadelphia
Historic Philadelphia has a series of absolutely stellar attractions. Independence Hall, the Eastern State Penitentiary and the National Constitution Center are all utterly engrossing.
Other key attractions in Philadelphia include the Museum of the American Revolution, the Independence Seaport Museum and the Penn Museum. For great Philadelphia tour options, try the Old City historic walking tour, a night tour exploring the city’s dark side or an It’s Always Sunny-themed tour of South Philadelphia.
If looking for Philadelphia accommodation, the Club Quarters Rittenhouse Square is often great value, while the Kimpton Hotel Monaco has style and personality.
New York City to Washington DC road trip attractions: Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the biggest city in Delaware, and its main appeal comes from its handsome old buildings. Bellevue Hall in the Bellevue State Park was the home of the enormously wealthy DuPont family and Rockwood Park has Gothic revival grandeur.
The 77-room Nemours Estate offers vintage cars and French-style gardens, while the Hagley Museum celebrates American inventors.
New York City to Washington DC drive: Baltimore
Baltimore is a character-packed port city that has spruced itself up in recent years and has a wealth of attractions to explore. The National Aquarium and the Fort McHenry National Monument are arguably the biggest two sights, but there’s an excellent range of Baltimore experiences to tackle.
Top choices include historical sightseeing tours, sailing on Inner Harbor and ghost tours in the Fell’s Point neighbourhood.
For other options, try brewery-hopping tours, helicopter rides and Fell’s Point food tours.
Waterfront Baltimore accommodation options include the Canopy at Harbor Point and the Sagamore Pendry in Fell’s Point.
More New York City road trips
New York City to Baltimore | New York City to Bridgeport CT | Boston to New York City | New York City to Chicago | New York City to Cincinnati | Dallas to New York City | Greensboro to New York City | Hartford to New York City | Houston to New York City | Kansas City to New York City | New York City to Memphis | Minneapolis to New York City | New York City to Myrtle Beach | New York City to Nashville | New Haven to New York City | New York City to Norwalk CT | New York City to Philadelphia | New York City to Pittsburgh | Raleigh NC to New York City | New York City to Richmond VA | New York City to Stamford CT | St Louis to New York City | New York City to Wilmington NC | New York City to Worcester MA.
More Washington DC road trips
Washington DC to Asheville | Atlanta to Washington DC | Washington DC to Baltimore | Boston to Washington DC | Washington DC to Charlotte | Chicago to Washington DC | Dallas to Washington DC | Durham NC to Washington DC | Fort Lauderdale to Washington DC | Fredericksburg to Washington DC | Greensboro to Washington DC | Hartford to Washington DC | Houston to Washington DC | Washington DC to Knoxville | Washington DC to Myrtle Beach | New Haven to Washington DC | Philadelphia to Washington DC | Washington DC to Pittsburgh | Raleigh NC to Washington DC | Washington DC to Richmond VA | St Louis to Washington DC | Washington DC to Tampa | Washington DC to Wilmington NC.