It is about 227 miles from Times Square to central Washington. The usual drive leaves Manhattan through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, follows the New Jersey Turnpike to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, and takes I-95 through Delaware and Maryland, under Baltimore harbor, into DC.
Five places on that route charge a toll. What you pay depends on the time of day, whether you have an E-ZPass and which state issued it, and, for two of them, which direction you are driving.
At a glance
| Toll | E-ZPass | Cash or by mail | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln or Holland Tunnel | No toll leaving NYC | No toll leaving NYC | Charged only entering New York: $14.79 off-peak / $16.79 peak with NY or NJ E-ZPass, $23.30 by mail |
| NJ Turnpike, Lincoln Tunnel (16E) to the Delaware Memorial Bridge (1) | $19.79 ($14.84 NJ E-ZPass off-peak) | $19.90 cash | From the Holland Tunnel (14C): $21.01 E-ZPass, $21.10 cash |
| Delaware Memorial Bridge | $5.00 ($4.75 DE and NJ E-ZPass) | $6.00 cash | Rates effective April 1, 2025 |
| I-95 Newark, Delaware toll plaza | $5.00 | $5.00 cash | Two-axle car |
| Fort McHenry or Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | $4 out-of-state E-ZPass, $3 Maryland E-ZPass | $4 Pay-By-Plate, $6 video toll | Maryland tolls are cashless |
| I-95 John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Maryland | $8 out-of-state E-ZPass, $6 Maryland E-ZPass | $8 Pay-By-Plate, $12 video toll | Collected in one direction only |
Fares, tolls and times for other services are approximate, as of November 2026, from the official pages listed under Sources; they change, so check before you travel. RoolDrive prices are our own.
How much are the tolls from NYC to DC?
Add up the table for a non-New Jersey E-ZPass and you get about $34 without the JFK Memorial Highway and about $42 with it. That toll is only charged in one direction, so over a round trip you pay it once. A New Jersey E-ZPass driven off-peak on the Turnpike brings the total down by roughly $5.
Coming back, the Turnpike and the tunnels charge you again; the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel toll applies on the way into New York, from $14.79 with an E-ZPass. Without any E-ZPass, cash and by-mail rates are higher throughout, and the Maryland video toll is half as much again as the E-ZPass rate.
How long is the drive from NYC to DC?
About about 3 h 53 min with clear roads. Realistically, plan for four and a half to five hours on a weekday, more on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends, when the Turnpike and the approaches to Baltimore and the Capital Beltway slow down.
Leaving Manhattan early in the morning or after the evening rush is the simplest way to cut the time. The worst stretch is often the first hour, getting out of the city and through northern New Jersey.
Car or Amtrak
Amtrak’s Acela and Northeast Regional trains run between New York Penn Station and Washington Union Station. Fares change with demand and with how early you book, so check Amtrak for your date. Amtrak also warns that Portal North Bridge work affects Northeast Corridor trains from October 9 to November 15, 2026.
The train is usually the quicker choice if you start and finish near the two stations. A car wins when you are going door to door with luggage, travelling as a group that would otherwise buy several tickets, or heading somewhere in Maryland or Virginia that is far from Union Station.
NYC to DC with a RoolDrive chauffeur
A private car from Midtown Manhattan to Washington, DC is about $747 in a Luxury Sedan or $995 in a Luxury SUV, per vehicle, with every toll above included. It is an estimate for central DC; your exact price is shown before you pay and doesn’t change with traffic.
Your chauffeur picks you up at your door and drives you to your door; free changes and cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
What you get
On the four-hour drive, every RoolDrive ride comes with:
- Complimentary bottled water
- Free Wi-Fi and a phone charger
- A clean, professionally detailed car
- A professional chauffeur in a suit
- Help with your bags
- A professional chauffeur and a private Sedan or SUV, door to door
- All bridge and tunnel tolls
- 15 minutes of free waiting after your scheduled pickup time
- Every stop you add when you book, priced before you pay
- Complimentary water, Wi-Fi, a phone charger and help with your bags
- Your chauffeur’s name, vehicle and plate in the app, and a direct line to call or message them
- Free changes and cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup, with a full refund for card payments
All prices and what’s included: NYC to Washington, DC car service.Full details in our Terms of service.
Questions
How much are tolls from NYC to DC?
About $34 to $42 one way for a car with an out-of-state E-ZPass, as of November 2026: the NJ Turnpike, the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Delaware I-95 toll, a Baltimore tunnel and, in one direction, Maryland’s JFK Memorial Highway.
Is there a toll on the Lincoln Tunnel leaving New York?
No. The Port Authority collects Lincoln and Holland Tunnel tolls only on the way into New York.
How long does it take to drive from NYC to DC?
About 3 h 53 min with clear roads; plan for four and a half to five hours on a weekday.
How much is a car service from NYC to DC?
With RoolDrive, about $747 in a Luxury Sedan or $995 in a Luxury SUV, tolls included. Your exact price is shown before you pay.
Do the tolls cost more without E-ZPass?
Yes. Cash and by-mail rates are higher at every toll on the route, and Maryland’s video toll is 1.5 times the base rate.
Sources
- Port Authority of NY & NJ: Bridge and tunnel tolls
- New Jersey Turnpike Authority: 2026 Turnpike toll schedule, Class 1 passenger cars
- Delaware River and Bay Authority: Delaware Memorial Bridge toll rates
- Delaware DOT: I-95 Newark toll plaza rates
- Maryland Transportation Authority: Toll rates
- Amtrak: Acela
- Amtrak: Northeast Regional
Checked November 2026.
