Buffalo · the midpoint
Buffalo is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It lies in Western New York on the eastern shore of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River on the Canada–United States border. Read more →
Meet halfway between Detroit and New York
The fair place to meet is Buffalo, NY — the city closest to the midpoint of Detroit and New York. From the farther side that’s about 6 hr 8 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Buffalo, NY
From Detroit
4 hr 31 min
215 mi to Buffalo
From New York
6 hr 8 min
292 mi to Buffalo
Detroit has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 1 hr 37 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Detroit and New York are about 481 miles apart.
More meetups from Detroit
Meeting in Buffalo
Detroit and New York are about 481 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Buffalo, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 4 hr 31 min of driving on the Detroit side and 6 hr 8 min on the New York side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Buffalo suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Buffalo doesn't have what you're after, Pittsburgh and Cleveland are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Detroit and New York.
About the cities
Detroit
Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario. It is the 26th-most populous city in the United States and the largest U.S. Read more →
New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Questions
- Where is the halfway point between Detroit and New York?
- Buffalo, NY is closest to the geographic midpoint, which makes it the fairest place to meet.
- How far apart are they?
- About 481 miles by road.
- How long is the drive to meet in the middle?
- Roughly 6 hr 8 min from the farther city to Buffalo.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.