Syracuse to Rochester drive: Best stops, distance and time
The best three stops on the Syracuse to Rochester drive in New York are Seneca Falls, Geneva and Canandaigua. By car, the distance from Syracuse to Rochester is 87 miles, with a driving time of 1h19m.
Planning a Syracuse to Rochester road trip itinerary
The Syracuse to Rochester drive takes you through some scenic sections of upstate New York to the shore of Lake Ontario.
Rochester offers beaches on Lake Ontario, plus High Falls, a waterfall right in the city centre.
Good Syracuse experiences include axe-throwing, scavenger hunts and the Erie Canal Museum.
Syracuse to Rochester distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Syracuse to Rochester is 87 miles. This makes for a driving time of around one hour and 19 minutes.
The quickest route is along the I-90, but if making a road trip of it, making a few slight dips south to the Finger Lakes is worth it.
The best road trip stops along the Syracuse to Rochester drive are Seneca Falls, Geneva and Canandaigua.
Syracuse to Rochester 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.
Syracuse to Rochester drive: Geneva
One of the main towns in the Finger Lakes region, Geneva lies at the northern end of Seneca Lake. Here, Seneca Lake State Park is one of the top places to go for a swim.
There are more than 20 wineries around Seneca Lake, and Geneva is the base for wine tours. On the day out around the lake, you’ll visit four wineries and taste several wines, from dry to dessert.
It’s not just wine made in these parts, however. From Geneva, it’s possible to do a craft beer tour of several nearby hop farms and microbreweries.
Best stops between Syracuse and Rochester: 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 Rochester road trips
Rochester to Buffalo | Rochester to Niagara Falls.
More Syracuse road trips
Albany to Syracuse | Syracuse to Buffalo | Syracuse to Chicago | Syracuse to Niagara Falls.