Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 35m
Distance
323.4 mi
520 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$53
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burns, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
This 323.4-mile journey from Hempstead, NY, to Burns, NY, is a solid day trip, clocking in at about 6 hours and 35 minutes of driving time. You'll be spending a good portion of your time on major highways, as indicated by the 69% highway share. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $53, making it a budget-friendly option for a single-day adventure. Given its manageable duration and focus on interstate travel, this route is well-suited for completion in one go. You'll be staying within the Northeast region for the entirety of this drive, primarily traversing New York State.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
161.7 miles from Hempstead, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 22m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 86 | 100 mi | 1h 56m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 68.2 mi | 1h 20m |
| I 81 | 58.1 mi | 1h 9m |
| I 380 | 27.7 mi | 30m |
| Keystone Shortway | 17.3 mi | 24m |
| Southern Tier Expressway | 16.8 mi | 19m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6.6 mi | 8m |
| Clearview Expressway | 5 mi | 5m |
Step-by-step road directions between Hempstead, NY and Burns, NY.
Start on Peninsula Boulevard
Turn left onto Clinton Street
Turn left onto NY 102
Turn slight left onto NY 24
Turn right onto New Hyde Park Road
Turn left onto Tulip Avenue
Turn left onto NY 25
Turn slight right onto NY 25
Turn left onto NY 25
Turn right onto I 295
Continue on I 295
Continue on I 295
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95; US 1
Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
Take the exit
Continue on I 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Take the exit
Continue on I 380
Merge onto I 81
Keep slight left at fork onto I 86; NY 17
Keep slight right at fork onto I 86; NY 17
Take the exit
Turn straight onto NY 36
Turn straight onto NY 36
Turn left onto NY 961F
Continue on NY 961F
Continue on NY 961F
Turn right onto CR 14
Arrive at destination
Starting your drive from Hempstead, NY, to Burns, NY, early in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight and minimize traffic, especially on the highway segments. With a total duration of 6 hours and 35 minutes, you'll have time for one planned stop, perhaps around the halfway mark, to stretch your legs and refuel. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the longest stretch without a major town or exit could be up to 100 miles on I 86. Since this is a manageable 323.4-mile drive, you have the flexibility to adjust your stop timing as needed.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 71 miles or 1h 33m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 161.7 miles or 3h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Burns, NY than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Hempstead, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Hempstead, NY
This is one driving day of about 323.4 miles and 6h 35m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
162 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 71 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 161.7 miles from Hempstead, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 86 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 100 miles.
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 8.1 and 27.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto I 295 / Clearview Expressway toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck Bridge
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 80 West: Paterson, Hackensack
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$53.23 one way
$106.47 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $57.56 | $115.13 |
| premium | $4.92 | $62.68 | $125.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $71.40 | $142.81 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.97
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$53
Tolls
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$101–$126
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 113.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $34 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 97 | 1 | $33.96 | $15.52 |
| Efficient EV | 80.9 | 0 | $28.30 | $12.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 129.4 | 1 | $45.28 | $20.70 |
Gas CO2
113 kg
EV CO2
38 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Hempstead on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Burns on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
63°F
Ramapo, NY
162 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this 323.4-mile route. With 69% of the journey on interstates, you'll find long stretches of efficient travel, including a significant 100-mile segment on I 86. The primary roads guiding you include I 86, Christopher Columbus Highway, and I 81, suggesting a mix of major arteries. While the profile is largely highway, be prepared for the typical pace and flow of interstate driving. This isn't a winding backroad adventure, but rather a direct path between your start and end points.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 86 and Christopher Columbus Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.1 miles in near I 295 / Clearview Expressway.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 23 significant decision points across 323.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles (I 295 / Clearview Expressway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.8 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hempstead, NY and Burns, NY, road signs point toward Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack and Hackensack.
Upper Level
Njtp South: Hackensack
Hackensack
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
Founded 1826
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 35m. Total distance: 323.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 35m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
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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