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Trip from Great River, NY to Brooklyn, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 6m

Distance

47.3 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 1m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 3m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Great River, NY, NY

Great River, NY

Mel Audelo

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Brooklyn, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Great River to Brooklyn covers a distance of 47.4 miles, typically taking about 1 hour and 21 minutes depending on local traffic. Since this is a short trip within the Northeast region, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Expect to spend approximately $7 on fuel for the journey. You will navigate via Woodhollow Road, River Road, and Heckscher Parkway west. This is a practical, straightforward route that connects suburban Long Island to the city, making it ideal for a quick day trip.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Southern State Parkway 25.4 mi 32m
Heckscher State Parkway 8.1 mi 10m
Belt Parkway 6.5 mi 9m
Linden Boulevard 3.8 mi 6m
Church Avenue 1.7 mi 4m
North Conduit Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
River Road 0.3 mi <1m
Woodhollow Road 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Southern State Parkway — 25.4 mi, about 32m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Great River, NY and Brooklyn, NY.

1

Start on New Street

52 ft · 7 sec · New Street
2

Turn left onto Woodhollow Road

0.2 mi · 55 sec · Woodhollow Road
3

Turn right onto River Road

0.3 mi · 43 sec · River Road
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward Heckscher Parkway west
5

Merge onto H

8.1 mi · 10 min · Heckscher State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on SO

0.1 mi · 9 sec · Southern State Parkway
7

Keep slight left at fork onto SO

25 mi · 32 min · Southern State Parkway
Use the slight left lane.
8

Continue on BP

1.3 mi · 1 min · Belt Parkway
9

Keep slight right at fork onto BP

2.4 mi · 3 min · Belt Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto BP

2.9 mi · 4 min · Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Exit 17W Toward North Conduit Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto NY 27

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Conduit Avenue
13

Turn straight onto NY 27

2.8 mi · 4 min · Linden Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
14

Continue on NY 27

1.0 mi · 1 min · Linden Boulevard
15

Turn slight left onto Church Avenue

1.7 mi · 4 min · Church Avenue
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left onto Nostrand Avenue

257 ft · 8 sec · Nostrand Avenue
17

Arrive at destination

Nostrand Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Hempstead, NY

24 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.

Pacing Suggestions

West Bay Shore, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Hempstead, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.6 miles from Great River, 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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 40.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m in | H / Heckscher State Parkway

Merge onto H / Heckscher State Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
9 mi into trip | ~12m in | SO / Southern State Parkway

Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
6
35.5 mi into trip | ~46m in | BP / Belt Parkway

Keep slight right at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane.
6
37.9 mi into trip | ~49m in | BP / Belt Parkway

Keep slight left at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
40.8 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward North Conduit Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 17W Toward North Conduit Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.79 one way

$15.57 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $8.42 $16.84
premium $4.92 $9.17 $18.34
diesel $5.61 $10.44 $20.89

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.97 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.14 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.62 $3.03

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Great River, NY

Late night in Great River on Tuesday

Local time

4:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Brooklyn, NY

Late night in Brooklyn on Tuesday

Local time

4:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Mostly Cloudy

E 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 18 at 2:37AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Burlington VT

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

8 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 6m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will spend your time navigating local roads, which requires your full attention behind the wheel. Because the drive is composed entirely of local transit, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches to settle into. Instead, the journey offers a technical driving experience that keeps you engaged with the surrounding area. It is a slow-paced, steady connection that moves you directly from one local environment to another.

85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.4 mi on Southern State Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern State Parkway and Heckscher State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near H / Heckscher State Parkway.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.8 miles (H / Heckscher State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.5 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Great River, NY

Full guide →

Arriving in Brooklyn, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1634

Brooklyn, the "Borough of Homes and Churches," is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It used to be a separate city, and still feels much like one. It has about 2.5 million inhabitants. If separated from the rest of New York City, Brooklyn would be the 4th most populous American city. Brooklyn is on the westernmost point of Long Island and shares a land boundary with Queens, which partially encircles Brooklyn to the north, east and south; Manhattan lies across the East River to the west and north of Brooklyn, and Staten Island is across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the southwest. Brooklyn is enjoying a period of growth and affluence not seen since before World War II. The Brooklyn Academy of Music boasts world-class theater performances, and the nearby Barclays Center is the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.

Top landmarks

  • Brooklyn Bridge — bridge in New York City, crossing the East River
  • Brooklyn Museum — art museum in Brooklyn, New York

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 6m. Total distance: 47.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 25.4 miles on Southern State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Brooklyn, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (H / Heckscher State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.5 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Castle Clinton National Monument and Federal Hall National Memorial (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Brooklyn, NY before heading back.

How this page is built

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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