Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 25m
Distance
63.1 mi
102 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hampton Bays, NY
Sarah O'Shea
Traveling from Hampton Bays to Hempstead covers 63.1 miles and typically takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes. This trek is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, allowing you to easily complete the journey without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily utilize the Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway, and Heckscher State Parkway to navigate across the Northeast region of New York. With a fuel cost estimated at just $10, this is an incredibly budget-friendly drive. It functions well as a straightforward transit route, providing a practical way to connect these two points on Long Island. Whether you are heading out for business or a quick visit, the duration is manageable for most drivers.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 35.3 mi | 47m |
| Southern State Parkway | 17.5 mi | 21m |
| Heckscher State Parkway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Nassau Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Ponquogue Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Montauk Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Greenwich Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Henry Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Hampton Bays, NY and Hempstead, NY.
Start on Ponquogue Avenue
Turn left onto CR 80
Turn right onto NY 24
Take the ramp
Merge onto NY 27
Turn slight right onto Sunrise Highway
Take the ramp
Merge onto H
Continue on SO
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto Nassau Road
Continue on Greenwich Street
Turn right onto Henry Street
Turn right onto Peninsula Boulevard
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 31.6 miles from Hampton Bays, 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 0.7 and 61.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto CR 80 / West Montauk Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Turn slight right onto Sunrise Highway toward SO, H: New York, Hekscher Park
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Nassau Road, Hempstead, Freeport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Uniondale
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$10.39 one way
$20.77 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $11.23 | $22.46 |
| premium | $4.92 | $12.23 | $24.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.93 | $27.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.63 | $3.03 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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 Hampton Bays on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
32°F
Clear then Areas Of Frost
Destination
Late night in Hempstead on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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 trip offers a mixed driving profile, transitioning between major parkways and highways as you move westward. You will spend roughly 37% of your time on highways, balancing faster transit with more localized road travel. Prepare for a significant 35.3-mile stretch on the Sunrise Highway, which serves as the longest uninterrupted portion of your drive. As you progress, the road environment shifts from the more open feel near Hampton Bays to the denser infrastructure as you approach Hempstead. Expect a steady pace behind the wheel that requires focus, especially as you navigate the transition between different parkway systems.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near CR 80 / West Montauk Highway.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.1 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.7 miles (CR 80 / West Montauk Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 36.6 miles (Sunrise Highway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 43.7 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
255 ft
Total Descent
232 ft
Highest Point
205 ft
~5.3 mi in
Elevation Range
178 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hampton Bays, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward H: New York, Hekscher Park and So West: New York.
H: New York
Hekscher Park
So West: New York
Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods. Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 25m. Total distance: 63.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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