Syracuse to Niagara Falls drive: Distance, time & best stops
By car, the distance from Syracuse to Niagara Falls is 161 miles, with a 2h29m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Syracuse to Niagara Falls drive are Seneca Falls, Canandaigua and Buffalo.
Planning a Syracuse to Niagara Falls road trip itinerary
The drive from Syracuse to Niagara Falls connects one of the biggest cities in north-western New York to the world’s most famous waterfall. This New York road trip passes the Finger Lakes along the way.
Good Syracuse experiences include axe-throwing, scavenger hunts and the Erie Canal Museum.
There are two cities called Niagara Falls, one either side of the infamous waterfall. The city of Niagara Falls, Canada, offers much more for tourists, and is something of a mini-Vegas. You’re better off crossing the border and choosing from a vast array of experiences in Niagara Falls, Canada.
However, for the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you’re staying in the United States. Things to do in Niagara Falls, New York include the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the falls, a Cave of the Winds highlights package tour and a mobsters tour full of stories that takes in the illuminated falls after dark.
Syracuse to Niagara Falls
By car, the distance from Syracuse to Niagara Falls is 161 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 29 minutes. The quickest route is almost entirely along the I-90.
The best road trip attractions along the Syracuse to Niagara Falls drive are Seneca Falls, Canandaigua and Buffalo.
Syracuse to Niagara Falls 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 Syracuse and Niagara Falls: 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.
Cleveland to Niagara Falls drive: Buffalo
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.
More Syracuse road trips
Albany to Syracuse | Syracuse to Buffalo | Syracuse to Chicago | Syracuse to Rochester.
More Niagara Falls road trips
Albany to Niagara Falls | Chicago to Niagara Falls | Cincinnati to Niagara Falls | Cleveland to Niagara Falls | Detroit to Niagara Falls | Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls | Rochester to Niagara Falls.