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Trip from Hempstead, NY to Head of the Harbor, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

51m

Distance

35.1 mi

56 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Hempstead, NY, NY

Hempstead, NY

Wikimedia Commons

village in Suffolk County, New York, United States

Head of the Harbor, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Hempstead, NY to Head of the Harbor, NY covers 35.1 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Southern State Parkway, Sagtikos State Parkway, North Country Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16 miles on Southern State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.70 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Southern State Parkway 16 mi 19m
Sagtikos State Parkway 4.1 mi 5m
North Country Road 3.4 mi 5m
Jerusalem Avenue 2.7 mi 4m
Long Island Expressway 2.2 mi 2m
Wheeler Road 1.6 mi 2m
Hauppauge Road 1.3 mi 2m
Hauppauge Boulevard 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Southern State Parkway — 16 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hempstead, NY and Head of the Harbor, NY.

1

Start on Peninsula Boulevard

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Peninsula Boulevard
2

Turn slight right onto NY 102

0.2 mi · 14 sec · Front Street
3

Turn slight right

111 ft · 4 sec
Use the right lane.
4

Turn straight onto William Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · William Street
5

At end of road, turn left onto Jerusalem Avenue

2.0 mi · 3 min · Jerusalem Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork onto Jerusalem Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Jerusalem Avenue
7

Turn slight right onto Merrick Avenue North

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Merrick Avenue North
8

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward SO East: East Islip
9

Merge onto SO

15 mi · 18 min · Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto SO

0.8 mi · 1 min · Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto SA

4.1 mi · 5 min · Sagtikos State Parkway
Toward Kings Park
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Exit S1 E Toward I 495 East: Riverhead Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward I 495 East: Riverhead Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 495

2.2 mi · 2 min · Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 14 sec
Exit 56 Toward NY 111: Smithtown, Islip Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Turn straight onto Express Drive South

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Express Drive South
17

Continue on Express Drive South

0.4 mi · 44 sec · Express Drive South
18

Turn left onto NY 111

1.6 mi · 2 min · Wheeler Road
19

Continue on NY 111

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Townline Road
Use the left lane.
20

Turn left onto NY 111

0.9 mi · 1 min · Hauppauge Boulevard
Use the left lane.
21

Continue on NY 111

1.3 mi · 2 min · Hauppauge Road
22

Continue on NY 25A

184 ft · 3 sec · River Road
Use the straight lane.
23

Continue on NY 25A

3.4 mi · 5 min · North Country Road
24

Turn left onto Hitherbrook Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Hitherbrook Road
Use the left lane.
25

Keep slight right at fork onto Bacon Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Bacon Road
26

Arrive at destination

Bacon Road

Where to Stop

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

Downtown North Babylon, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

North Babylon, NY

18 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

Centereach, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

North Babylon, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Hempstead, 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 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 26.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | Jerusalem Avenue

At end of road, turn left onto Jerusalem Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes.
6
18.8 mi into trip | ~24m 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 straight / slight right lanes.
7
23.7 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward I 495 East: Riverhead

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit S1 E Toward I 495 East: Riverhead
8
23.9 mi into trip | ~31m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 East: Riverhead

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 495 East: Riverhead
8
26.3 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward NY 111: Smithtown, Islip

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 56 Toward NY 111: Smithtown, Islip

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.70 one way

$11.41 round trip

$4.13/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.47 $6.17 $12.35
premium $4.87 $6.72 $13.45
diesel $5.40 $7.47 $14.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.5 0 $3.69 $1.68
Efficient EV 8.8 0 $3.07 $1.40
EV Truck/SUV 14 0 $4.91 $2.25

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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 26, 2026

Origin

Hempstead, NY

Morning in Hempstead on Sunday

Local time

10:31 AM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Partly Sunny

NE 13 mph 20% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY

Destination

Head of the Harbor, NY

Morning in Head of the Harbor on Sunday

Local time

10:31 AM

EDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

11 degrees cooler at arrival

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

Road read

51m 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?

35.1 mi in 51m, mostly highway — 16 mi of that is on Southern State Parkway.

64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16 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 Sagtikos State Parkway. 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 Jerusalem Avenue.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 35.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Jerusalem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Hempstead, NY and Head of the Harbor, NY, road signs point toward So East: East Islip, Kings Park and Islip.

So East: East Islip

3.5 mi in | ~6m

Kings Park

19.6 mi in | ~25m | via SA

Islip

26.3 mi in | ~34m

About the Cities

Starting in Hempstead, NY

Full guide →

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

  • • Mitchel Air Force Base — US Air Force base in Long Island, New York

Arriving in Head of the Harbor, NY

Full guide →

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 51m. Total distance: 35.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 16 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 Head of the Harbor, 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 0.7 miles (Jerusalem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Fire Island National Seashore, Gateway National Recreation Area and General Grant 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 Head of the Harbor, 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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