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Trip from Hempstead, NY to Selden, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

53m

Distance

38.6 mi

62 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

5 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 49m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m

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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census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States

Selden, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 38.6-mile drive from Hempstead to Selden, NY, is a straightforward 53-minute trip that's perfect for a single day. You'll navigate primarily via the Southern State Parkway, Middle Country Road, and Sagtikos State Parkway, with about 58% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost is around $6, making it an economical option for a short excursion within the Northeast region. This route offers a mixed driving experience, ideal for a quick local hop rather than needing an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Southern State Parkway 16 mi 19m
Middle Country Road 5.4 mi 8m
Sagtikos State Parkway 4.1 mi 5m
Jerusalem Avenue 2.7 mi 4m
Nesconset Highway 2.5 mi 3m
Long Island Expressway 2.2 mi 2m
Wheeler Road 1.6 mi 2m
Nesconset-Port Jefferson Highway 1.3 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Southern State Parkway — 16 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hempstead, NY and Selden, 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

0.4 mi · 35 sec · Hauppauge Boulevard
Use the left lane.
21

Turn slight right onto NY 347

1.3 mi · 2 min · Nesconset-Port Jefferson Highway
22

Continue on NY 347

2.5 mi · 3 min · Nesconset Highway
23

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward Route 25, Middle Country Road EAST, Centereach, Riverhead
24

Turn right onto NY 25

5.4 mi · 8 min · Middle Country Road
Use the straight lane.
25

Arrive at destination

NY 25

Where to Stop

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

Downtown West Bay Shore, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

West Bay Shore, NY

19 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

Coram, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

West Bay Shore, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.3 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

$6.35 one way

$12.71 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $6.87 $13.74
premium $4.92 $7.48 $14.96
diesel $5.61 $8.52 $17.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.6 0 $4.05 $1.85
Efficient EV 9.7 0 $3.38 $1.54
EV Truck/SUV 15.4 0 $5.40 $2.47

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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

Hempstead, NY

Late night in Hempstead on Sunday

Local time

2:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny

E 6 to 10 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

Destination

Selden, NY

Late night in Selden on Sunday

Local time

2:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°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

7 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

53m 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 mixed drive on this route, blending parkway cruising with local road segments. While 58% of the drive is on highways, you'll also encounter stretches on Middle Country Road. The longest uninterrupted segment is 16 miles on the Southern State Parkway, offering a chance to settle into a rhythm. This drive transitions from a more open parkway feel to more developed roadside environments as you approach your destination.

58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 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 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 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 38.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.

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 Selden, NY, road signs point toward So East: East Islip, Kings Park, Islip, Middle Country Road East, Centereach and Riverhead.

So East: East Islip

3.5 mi in | ~6m

Kings Park

19.6 mi in | ~25m | via SA

Islip

26.3 mi in | ~34m

Middle Country Road East

33 mi in | ~44m

Centereach

33 mi in | ~44m

Riverhead

33 mi in | ~44m

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 Selden, 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 53m. Total distance: 38.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

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 Selden, 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 Selden, 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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