Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
44.9 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brookhaven, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Northwest Harbor, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Brookhaven to Northwest Harbor is 44.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 16 minutes via Sunrise Highway and Montauk Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. You'll be traveling entirely on surface roads for this relatively short drive, making it a straightforward option for a quick excursion. It's a simple enough route that you can easily adjust your timing based on traffic or decide to add an extra stop along the way.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 24.2 mi | 30m |
| Montauk Highway | 9.4 mi | 18m |
| County Road 39 | 5.5 mi | 11m |
| Stephen Hands Path | 2.1 mi | 5m |
| Old Northwest Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Northwest Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Country Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Horseblock Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Brookhaven, NY and Northwest Harbor, NY.
Start on CR 36
Continue on South Country Road
Turn straight onto CR 80
Turn left onto CR 16
Take the ramp
Merge onto NY 27
Continue on NY 27; CR 39
Turn left onto Montauk Highway
Turn left onto Stephen Hands Path
Turn left
Turn right onto Stephen Hands Path
Continue on Old Northwest Road
Turn right onto Northwest Road
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.4 miles from Brookhaven, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 41.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto CR 16 / Horseblock Road
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto NY 27 / Sunrise Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Montauk Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Stephen Hands Path
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$7.30 one way
$14.59 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $7.90 | $15.80 |
| premium | $4.87 | $8.60 | $17.20 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $9.55 | $19.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.71 | $2.16 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18 | 0 | $6.29 | $2.87 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Brookhaven on Sunday
Local time
2:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain Showers
Destination
Late night in Northwest Harbor on Sunday
Local time
2:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain Showers
42°F
Southampton, NY
22 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This drive is entirely on surface roads, with no highway driving at all. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 24.2 miles along Sunrise Highway before transitioning to other local roads. Expect a consistent pace with frequent intersections and potential for local traffic, as there are no high-speed highway segments to bypass towns. You'll notice the change in speed and road type as you move from the more direct Sunrise Highway onto Montauk Highway and then County Road 39.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near CR 16 / Horseblock Road.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.9 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (CR 16 / Horseblock Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (NY 27 / Sunrise Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (Montauk Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Founded 1655
Brookhaven is the largest town in Suffolk County, part of Long Island, New York. With 485,000 residents (2020). It includes a patchwork of villages and other communities, and is the only town on the island to touch both the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. The villages of Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Mastic Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson, and Shoreham are semi-autonomous, and provide their own services in addition to those provided by the town. Other prominent communities include Mount Sinai, Stony Brook, and Fire Island, a long and car-free resort island off the south coast of the town.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 44.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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Return Trip
Northwest Harbor, NY to Brookhaven, NYPlan the drive back the other way.
Explore more options from Brookhaven, NY or browse trips ending in Northwest Harbor, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.
